Crazy Hockey Dads Podcast

How a COVID accident became the biggest vibes-driven hockey brand in the game.

Scott and Jamie sit down with Jonny and Austin, two of the original Hockey Guys, to break down how a group of college teammates stuck in online classes accidentally built a brand that now partners with more than half the NHL.

They walk through the real story: Ontario and Manitoba childhoods, leaving home early, billet adventures, injuries, and the mental grind that shaped them long before TikTok. Then they explain why their content works, why fans who never played hockey connect with them, and how “just being the boys” ended up doing more to grow the game than any marketing campaign.

In this episode:
  • The COVID dorm-room moment that launched a media brand
  • Why the NHL hands them the keys to so many events
  • The real junior hockey path: billets, pressure, setbacks, and family support
  • Ontario vs. Manitoba: two childhoods, same love for the game
It’s funny, honest, and unexpectedly insightful...the story of how guys who just wanted to play hockey ended up changing how it’s shared with the world.

Socials:
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@crazy.hockey.dads

X: https://x.com/Crazyhockeydads

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crazyhockeydadspodcast/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576627751551

What is Crazy Hockey Dads Podcast?

A relatable and honest podcast about the highs and lows of being a youth hockey parent. Join us as we share real stories, struggles, and wins from the rink, offering insights and support for parents navigating the world of youth hockey.

Scott:

Alright, everybody. Welcome back to episode 44 of the Crazy Hockey Dads Podcast, the unfiltered podcast for hockey parents. No politics, no sugarcoating, just real talk for hockey parents in the trenches.

Jamie:

Well done. Boo. Well done, buddy. You almost slipped at the end.

Scott:

I almost slipped, but

Jamie:

I You did not. On.

Scott:

I hung I I gritted it out.

Jamie:

Well done. Thanks, man. I must say, well done. 44, John Riggins? Number 44?

Jamie:

Does that sound right?

Scott:

Riggins.

Jamie:

Yeah, I'm pretty sure John Riggins was number 44.

Scott:

Yeah, Okay, great. Who's John Riggins?

Jamie:

Please tell me you didn't just

Speaker 3:

say that.

Scott:

Did I just embarrass myself?

Jamie:

Yeah.

Scott:

Why? Who's John Riggins?

Jamie:

First of all, we just interviewed Sadie Lundquist coming in a couple weeks.

Scott:

Yeah.

Jamie:

Right? First first female interview, on our podcast and you actually said to her, I didn't know who Conor McDavid was. She's like That's true. She's like, Oh my god, this fucking guy. What do you mean?

Jamie:

It

Speaker 4:

was true.

Speaker 3:

I know.

Jamie:

I So you do

Scott:

Let me tell you let me tell you let me tell you something and everyone else will be.

Jamie:

Talk to me.

Scott:

Before you knew Conor McDavid You didn't? You didn't. Yeah. So I I so I was just like everybody else. Okay.

Scott:

So it was a few years after he started his pro career, but so.

Speaker 3:

That was my point.

Jamie:

So, yes. But but anyway, I digressed. But, yeah, John Riggins was a big time NFL, player for the Redskins.

Scott:

Oh, I see. Now I know.

Jamie:

And he wore number 44. So I said John Riggins.

Scott:

Why would I know who plays for the Washington Redskins?

Jamie:

Because he was a major, major player in the NFL when he was there.

Scott:

Oh, was he major?

Jamie:

Major.

Scott:

What year are we talking?

Jamie:

That's a good question, actually. It was it was before you and I were we were kids. Like

Scott:

Before we before we were kids?

Jamie:

No. We we were When we were kids? We were, like, like, real young.

Scott:

Okay. So I I mean, I could probably spout out some guys from back in the day if they were, like, on the Jets or the Giants.

Jamie:

So do you remember

Scott:

the Redskins.

Jamie:

Do remember when we used to do you remember we used to play, like, like two like, on two, three on three, or like kill the man with the ball on on Brian Rosman's front lawn?

Scott:

Yeah. Sure.

Jamie:

So so some of us would wear like Riggins jerseys.

Scott:

Oh, yeah?

Jamie:

Yeah. You don't remember that? No. Like, do you remember the jerseys that we used to wear? It was like Riggins, Barry Sanders.

Scott:

Sanders, Sims, Montana. Montana.

Jamie:

Rice. Bo Jackson. I wanna say like, Eric Dickerson. There's some Eric Dickerson jerseys. Mean, some of the jerseys we had were actually sweet.

Scott:

Walter Payton.

Jamie:

Walter Payton was another good one. Well said by you. Yeah. Alright, so Riggins played for the he actually played for the New York Football Jets from 'seventy one to 'seventy five. We were not alive.

Jamie:

And then from '76 to '85, so you and I, he put for the Redskins. So you and I were like, at the end of his career, we were like, seven.

Scott:

That's why I don't know who he is. Number 44.

Jamie:

But still, John Riggins? Like, if you know the you need to know what fucking John Reagans is.

Scott:

Okay. Well, look, guess what? Now I do. Now you do. So now next time we have a conversation

Jamie:

It's about funny. He actually

Scott:

44.

Jamie:

He actually played for the Jets, and most people do not know him as a Jet. Most people know him as a as a Washington resident.

Scott:

So I'm from the Jets. I remember back in the day. Remember like, Al Toon. Yeah, man. Gastano.

Jamie:

Yeah, the sack exchange. Kennel, Kennel, Kenny O'Brien. Who's the running back? They were so fucking bad, by the way. That was were awful back then.

Scott:

Anyway, so you see, I named a few old time Jets.

Jamie:

Yes, you did. Good for you.

Scott:

Can you

Jamie:

name any old time Redskins besides John Riggins?

Scott:

Probably if I take a few minutes to think.

Jamie:

Never mind. It's not important. Like Mark Rippon was the QB. I wanna say Oh, who Yes, the wide receiver was Monk. Who was his first name?

Jamie:

Oh my God, it's gonna bother the shit out of me.

Scott:

Oh, that does sound familiar.

Jamie:

Oh, God. I wanna say like Herman Monk, but that's not right.

Scott:

All right. Let's stop talking about football. Anyway. Or throwball. It should be called throwball.

Jamie:

No, it shouldn't be called throwball.

Scott:

Yeah, it should be called throwball. No. What do you mean no?

Jamie:

Do you know what Luka calls it?

Scott:

What? He calls it Throwball? Hand egg. Hand egg? That's even better than throwball.

Jamie:

Yeah, because he likes the British lingo. So he's like football should be he doesn't like soccer. He doesn't like calling, like, soccer soccer.

Scott:

Well, why he He likes why he should call football.

Jamie:

Football. That's why he calls hand egg for USC.

Scott:

I'm I'm with him. I'm in Lucas Camp, dude.

Jamie:

Anyway, can we start talking about hockey?

Scott:

Yeah. Sure.

Jamie:

Enough of this shit.

Scott:

Yeah. So, quick shout out to partners. Yeah. Yeah. Howie's hockey crazy ten.

Scott:

Use a discount code. Crazy 10. Get all of the things you need for your friends and family

Jamie:

this holiday season. Go, Howie's. For all of your, whatever holiday you celebrate, go get some Howie's gear. Love Howie's. Yep.

Jamie:

One of my favorites

Scott:

by far. Yep. No doubt. Howie's hockey pro stride. Angelo Searce, great episode, my man.

Jamie:

One episode. Yeah. Go listen to his episode, 43. It's still crushing it.

Scott:

Crushing it. So use CHD ten for 10% off at any ProStride clinic. No?

Jamie:

Yes. Yes.

Scott:

No, that's not a thing?

Jamie:

No, no, no. No. Yeah, you're good.

Scott:

So why are you laughing? I was just giggling. Yes, you were, but why?

Jamie:

I was just giggling.

Scott:

Okay. No, you You got a case of the giggles?

Jamie:

No, we're good. Then go ahead. Keep going. Eric?

Speaker 4:

To what?

Jamie:

API? You're

Speaker 4:

like switching gears. You're

Scott:

like

Jamie:

avoiding not something. Avoiding anything, seriously.

Scott:

You're weird.

Jamie:

No, I'm not avoiding anything, seriously. Okay. Sure. Sorry. Sorry.

Jamie:

I didn't want to throw

Scott:

you off. Yeah. No. It's perfect. On point.

Jamie:

Yeah. Yeah.

Scott:

Yeah. So then Athletic Performance Insight, Eric, what's going on, my man? Yeah. Yeah. Anyone still interested in checking out analytics video review for your team, for your players, please check out API.

Scott:

Fill out the contact form. Have them do a demo of the system. They'll even tag a game for free. Yeah. It's really it's it's unreal to see what you can start learning about your players and your team when you start seeing certain things like, you know, in back to back to back zone entries, exits.

Scott:

It's, super helpful.

Jamie:

Yeah. You guys are using it really like, you guys are, like, knee deep into it.

Scott:

Yep. Right? Absolutely. Will say that we're getting our games tagged. Haven't been doing a ton of video review as a group.

Scott:

But I know some of the families are certainly using it a lot. So Nice, can't recommend it man. Yeah, no doubt.

Jamie:

I like it.

Scott:

Yeah, so they're our partners. And yeah, let's catch up on hockey. How was your last weekend?

Jamie:

My last weekend. We played what who do we play? We played a we played a triple a team on Saturday. Yeah. We're kind of, like, the lower ish level triple a teams.

Jamie:

We beat them eight to two.

Scott:

Well, that's that sounds like someone shouldn't someone's playing in the wrong category.

Jamie:

So so Dominic's old, the Rockets team, is the AAA team in that building. This team is the same birth year, AAA, which is so dumb.

Scott:

But then do they also have a AA for the same birth year?

Jamie:

Yes. And and what's happened is is everything is then watered down. So this triple a team that we played should really be the double a team. The double a team should be the single a team. Period.

Jamie:

End of story. Like, it's so dumb. Like, this team is not a triple a hockey team. Sorry. They're just not.

Scott:

This has gotta be no fun for anyone on that team.

Jamie:

But they've been they've been bad for years. When we were there, they were they were bad. Like, I I don't know why they why they're it's just because parents want the triple a things next to their kid's name. It's so dumb. You guys just got smoked by a double a hockey team.

Jamie:

Like, clearly, you're not a AAA hockey team.

Scott:

Yeah. That's that's

Jamie:

You just got the shit kicked out of you.

Scott:

Interesting that parents are willing to pay a premium for that.

Jamie:

How fucking stupid. Right? How dumb is that? Like, you guys are idiots. You guys are paying you guys are paying to get the shit kicked

Scott:

out of Like, when Otto was playing AAA

Jamie:

How stupid are you?

Scott:

And we played AA teams, it was always like upbirth years. You know what I mean? It's not like Right. You're the same birth year.

Jamie:

But I I gotta tell you, this is what waters down youth hockey in our area.

Scott:

Most part, yeah.

Jamie:

Because parents want the AAA, they want the AAA, you know, thing next to their kid's name. And then, you know, and then you're paying, you know, so you're paying, like, I don't know, $8 as opposed to, like, 6 or 5 or $5.05, whatever the number is. Right? You know, so you're paying like, like, you like, what are you paying to do? To get the shit kicked out of you?

Scott:

I guess. Travel further to tournaments, spend more money on gas and hotels. Have Doing that. Have at it. Like I

Jamie:

said, you guys got the shit kicked out of you by a AA hockey team. How'd that feel?

Scott:

Probably not great.

Jamie:

I would think not.

Scott:

But it probably felt better than getting the kicked out by a triple a team, like, double digits to nothing.

Jamie:

Sure that happens them I'm sure they get the kicked out of

Scott:

by Listen. It doesn't sound like a great situation, not in any event.

Jamie:

Right. So that was Saturday. So that was that was fun. And then Sunday, we I was not there because you and I were recording a interview.

Scott:

That is true.

Jamie:

You know, coming soon. So I was not there. We lost three two.

Scott:

Oh, that's Yeah. Okay. Close game.

Jamie:

Yeah. It was a close game. I think that I think that they scored. It was, like, one one, then two two. A team that we beat early in earlier in the year, like, oh, the game you were at.

Scott:

Oh, yeah.

Jamie:

Yeah. That we played that team again. Lost three

Scott:

Oh, whatever did that did that kid was that kid okay?

Jamie:

Yeah. He was fine.

Scott:

Okay, good.

Jamie:

Yeah, the kid that got hurt? Yeah. Yeah, No, he's fine.

Scott:

Were there more shenanigans?

Jamie:

Apparently, their coach got thrown out of the game.

Scott:

Interesting.

Jamie:

But apparently, their coach got thrown out of the game for making a comment. Like, I guess Oh, dude, I know what it was. So I'm piecing this together as we speak. So there was a play where the puck rimmed our kid dumped it in. Yep.

Jamie:

Okay? The goalie went behind the net to play the puck. It took a bad bounce and bounced in front of the net, and one of our kids just of knocked it

Speaker 4:

in. Okay.

Jamie:

I'm pretty sure when that happened, the coach went like, Oh, shit, or you gotta be shitting me. Something to that effect, right? Yeah. To his own goalie. Like, he was commenting about his own goalie, and the ref threw him out.

Jamie:

What? Yeah. This is I'm giving this to you second

Scott:

That's weird.

Jamie:

I'm giving

Speaker 3:

this to you

Jamie:

from my wife. This is second hand from Nancy. But she said, Jamie, he got thrown out for making a comment about his own goal. I was like, Seriously? And then I saw the play, I went back and watched it.

Jamie:

I saw the play that had to have been the play.

Scott:

That's so weird. Had to have been. He didn't motherfuck the ref at the same time?

Jamie:

I don't think I don't think so.

Scott:

I think Why would the refs

Jamie:

That's what I said.

Speaker 3:

I'm like

Scott:

Makes no sense.

Jamie:

Listen. Is it possible my my wife missed something? 100%.

Scott:

It still makes no sense.

Jamie:

But they tossed him.

Scott:

Oh, okay.

Jamie:

And some of their parents were getting a little chippy. You know, like, you know, have to tell you, you see these boneheads in the stands?

Scott:

Yeah.

Jamie:

You know? And I heard them through the camera, by the way. Like like like, parents, just sit there and watch. Like, you don't need to yell like, Kill him or like, Hit him again. Like, I will say this.

Jamie:

When I talked to Maddie, my buddy, after, one of our kids took a slashing penalty.

Scott:

Woah. Where'd he slash the kid?

Jamie:

It was more than just a slashing penalty.

Scott:

It was like a batter up?

Jamie:

It was a good one.

Scott:

Where do you hit him?

Jamie:

Like, at lower back? Yeah. It was a doozy. It was a doozy.

Scott:

Listen, Kids lose their cool. I get it,

Jamie:

but that sucks. It was a doozy. Because I it's funny when I when Matt was giving me, like, the recap, he's like, yeah. He's like, took a slashing slashing pounding. I was like, okay.

Jamie:

Then when I saw it, I'm like, okay. Yeah. Yeah. I'm

Scott:

like He get kicked out of the game? No. Two handed to the back? Bro. How does that

Jamie:

It was a doozy. It was a fucking doozy.

Speaker 3:

But if you're gonna do it, you

Jamie:

might as well fucking do it.

Scott:

The the same set of reps also threw out the other coach for saying, you gotta be shitting me.

Jamie:

Yeah, man. Listen. Again, I was I was not there. I'm giving you secondhand shit. Yeah.

Jamie:

I I did watch, but I didn't hear what he he I don't I don't fucking know.

Scott:

Either way, just inconsistent.

Jamie:

Yeah. Dominic was Dominic felt bad about himself after the second game because he thought that he let up goals one and three. Listen. I don't know. Listen.

Jamie:

But what I told him was, is, know what, buddy? You know, like like like our inter our interview said on Sunday, right, either you're winning or you're learning.

Scott:

Or you're learning. Right.

Jamie:

So I sit down. I go, you lost? I go, learn what happened.

Scott:

I go

Jamie:

figure out what happened. I go learn from it and move on, and you grow.

Scott:

Yep.

Jamie:

Right? Totally. So, yeah. So that was our weekend. Yeah.

Jamie:

So looking forward to, we actually just got a game canceled for this coming weekend. So I only have one game this weekend. When I say I, I mean Dominic. Me. Right?

Jamie:

Like as a family. So we're going out to Red Bank. I'm going to try the pizza again.

Scott:

Oh, dude. I'm warning you against

Jamie:

Because you told me that it was bad, and I'm so angry now because it was never bad.

Scott:

Well, I'm telling you the only slice I had from that place was terrible.

Jamie:

I'm really hoping that you just got a bad batch or something like that because the pizza was never bad there.

Scott:

Okay. Well, can report back.

Jamie:

I'm going to.

Scott:

And if you say it's good, I'm still not gonna believe you.

Jamie:

Fair. So so we have a game there Saturday. We actually had a game there Sunday as well. It got canceled.

Scott:

Oh. Yeah. Interesting.

Jamie:

Yeah. Now we only have to go down to Red Bank once.

Scott:

Okay.

Jamie:

Which I'm looking forward to only going once.

Scott:

I would look forward to that also. Yeah. Alright. Cool, Yeah. You.

Scott:

Last weekend, we we, Otto's team, they won one lost one.

Jamie:

Okay.

Scott:

Yeah. So I was there on sun so I was there on Saturday. I was not there on Sunday.

Jamie:

Because of our interview?

Scott:

On Sunday? Yeah. No. Because Noah's birthday party.

Jamie:

Oh, forgot about that. Sorry.

Scott:

Yeah. So when I saw

Jamie:

Mhmm. That's right.

Scott:

Went out to Long Island Saturday evening. The boys won. Otto played alright. You know, neither here nor there. He had some scoring chances.

Scott:

Didn't vary. I didn't see any of oh, no. That's not true. I saw some of it during, like, Noah's party. I was, like, watching BlackBerry TV on Orly's phone.

Scott:

Okay. They lost to a team they'd beaten before. You know, Otto was, like, upset after the game because he was like, I haven't scored in like two games.

Jamie:

Listen, you it happens, man.

Scott:

I know, of course it happens. But then he was also like, I didn't play well. Mhmm. You know, I was out there for like three of the team the other team's goals. Like, you know, this is first time I've hear heard him say that.

Jamie:

So his plusminus was getting beat up a little bit.

Scott:

Yeah. Okay. But, you know, the fact that he's like thinking about that and like caring about it, you know, and maybe he has in the past just didn't vocalize it. Yeah. But I said, dude, listen, like you're still creating scoring opportunities.

Scott:

Yeah. You know? So Okay, so you haven't put the puck in the net. Fine. You had a few chances, sure, would have been nice if they went in.

Jamie:

But Okay.

Scott:

You know, that's not what it's all about. True. So I'm like, what do you think you need to work on? You know? Yeah.

Scott:

And it's like the same thing, the same philosophy It's that you like you're not

Jamie:

You're not winning, you're learning.

Scott:

You're either winning or you're learning.

Jamie:

Right. Either way, you're growing.

Scott:

Yeah, no

Jamie:

doubt. And you're developing as a hockey player.

Scott:

Yeah. So we'll see what happens. On the weekends, they have we don't have a game on Saturday. There's the all star game, which Otto actually got voted to.

Jamie:

Oh, that's this Saturday?

Scott:

That's this Saturday.

Jamie:

Oh, nice. You're going out there?

Scott:

We are going to go. It's a fucking hole. Yeah. Well, listen. You know

Jamie:

We were there a couple weeks ago for a showcase.

Scott:

Yeah. There's part of me that's like I asked him, like, dude, do you even like, you want to play in this? And he said, yeah.

Jamie:

Nice. Good for him, dude.

Scott:

That's great. And, you know, part of, like, part of this season is about, like, building confidence and just, like so whatever. As as kind of ridiculous as it is that they have an all star game for young kids like this, which I don't agree with

Jamie:

I mean, listen.

Scott:

I think that, you know, if he got voted for it, he wants to do it, then like, great. Go have fun.

Jamie:

Listen. Why not? Right? It's funny. You said the kids voted in yours, right?

Scott:

Correct.

Jamie:

Our kids didn't vote. I don't know how it's done.

Scott:

Maybe the coach is just a side

Jamie:

I think so. Yeah. Who the fuck knows?

Scott:

Either way.

Jamie:

Good for him though, dude. That's Yeah,

Scott:

yeah, no, no. Happy for I'm happy we're doing it.

Speaker 3:

You going out Friday

Scott:

for it? No, we're going where are we going? I don't even know.

Jamie:

You said it's Saturday?

Scott:

Yeah, but why do I feel like that's a mistake? I have to double check the calendar.

Jamie:

Got

Scott:

it. Because the AHF has it spread over the weekend, like thirteenth. I don't know. I have to double check.

Jamie:

Okay. Cool. Well, whatever it is, that's cool. You can report Yeah. Back next

Scott:

And then there's a game on Sunday. Cool. Yeah. That's what's coming up. Anyway, all good, more or less.

Jamie:

Very cool. Yeah. Nice. I like it.

Scott:

Yeah, dude. Good shit.

Jamie:

So was

Speaker 4:

a good

Jamie:

weekend. All right. Good.

Scott:

It was a full weekend. Yeah.

Jamie:

It was a full weekend.

Scott:

A lot of driving.

Jamie:

Yeah. Weekend was busy. That's for sure.

Scott:

Yeah. All right, cool. What else? What else?

Jamie:

Did you see who jumped on board?

Scott:

With what?

Jamie:

We had did we I'm trying to think. When we updated last

Scott:

Oh, talking about geography?

Jamie:

Did we update some states last time that jumped on board? We were missing just

Scott:

missing Alaska.

Jamie:

So we were missing Oregon and Idaho. Oh. Did we talk about Oregon yet?

Scott:

Yes.

Jamie:

We did?

Scott:

Yes.

Jamie:

Last episode? Okay. So Idaho jumped on in Great. So now we're just missing Alaska.

Scott:

Okay.

Jamie:

So welcome, Idaho. We're yeah. Just missing Alaska. So somebody please send this to somebody.

Scott:

Or if you're like going on vacation to Alaska, like listen.

Jamie:

Seriously. Like if you're taking that train, like up through Alaska, the train slash boat, right? Isn't there like a like a trip where you do like a boat slash train trip?

Scott:

Probably.

Jamie:

Right? Like, I I know, like, people that have done that. Like, yeah. Seriously. But just like Aruba Yeah.

Jamie:

Because somebody was on vacation in Aruba and started listening to

Scott:

us Yeah.

Jamie:

Since Aruba popped up on our map. But, yeah, either send this to somebody in Alaska, all seven people that live there Dude,

Scott:

that's not true.

Jamie:

Sorry. Come on. All 107. Oh, Jesus. Or or or or go on vacation and download our episode there so we can check Alaska off and then be in all 50 states.

Scott:

Well, listen, it's more important that people that are into hockey and we're building the listenership, you know, but It's true. Yeah. Who cares about the map?

Jamie:

Yeah. So 49 states, 32 countries, not like I'm counting.

Scott:

You are. But anyway, welcome to anyone that's listening for the first time or coming back for a second time. Welcome. Welcome. Welcome.

Scott:

Yeah, Thank you

Jamie:

100%.

Scott:

For joining us. And, yeah, so let's fast forward to, the episode today. Dude, this was this is excellent.

Speaker 3:

So different.

Scott:

So different.

Jamie:

I think everybody's gonna love this episode.

Scott:

Yep. So why I mean

Speaker 3:

Yeah. Go ahead.

Scott:

So no. No. I mean, like, so we have the hockey guys. And if you're not familiar with the hockey guys, you need to check them out on Instagram. Yes.

Scott:

They've got the following, and they That's putting it mildly. Yeah. No doubt. But what what's great about it is that, like, it's a group of guys that all went to Wisconsin Superior.

Jamie:

Yep. D three hockey. They all played together.

Scott:

Started, you know, up content on TikTok. On TikTok. Yeah. And they got a following. And then, you know, fast forward, you know, they're working with the NHL.

Scott:

They're they're bringing awareness to the game. They're partnering with, like, different events and different teams and going to NHL rinks.

Speaker 4:

Yeah,

Scott:

man. I mean, like, unreal how, like, you know, how life happens. Right?

Jamie:

They have a cool they have a cool story. The story is very cool how it started. It started while they were playing.

Scott:

Right.

Jamie:

While they were all playing at Wisconsin Superior. Just fucking around on their buddy's TikTok Yeah. Account.

Scott:

And they were even sounding they didn't even weren't even familiar with TikTok at

Jamie:

the time. I think Johnny was like you'll you guys hear Johnny in Austin on our on our, on our interview, but Johnny was like, I don't even think I had the TikTok app like four or five months into like them doing it.

Scott:

Right. Right.

Jamie:

Yeah. Totally. Something like that.

Speaker 3:

Yeah. No doubt.

Jamie:

But yeah, they're fun.

Scott:

Yeah. So what they're currently doing is pretty amazing. And I'm sure there's tons of people that would love to trade places with them. 100%. But their journey, like just playing youth hockey, they're both from Canada.

Scott:

Good players. They ended up playing d three in The States. They had their highs and they had their lows. And it was just like hearing their journey was great. Hearing what it was like for them growing up was great.

Scott:

And it was and also, you know, part of the conversation while all funny, but also they talked about their time billeting as well.

Jamie:

They did.

Scott:

Which is something that we really haven't talked much about. So it was interesting to hear hear about that.

Speaker 3:

Yeah. We touched on it only

Jamie:

a handful of times, billeting. Yeah. Should go more in-depth into it in one of our episodes. But yes, you're right about that. Some of the stories that are coming out of these billet situations are pretty good.

Scott:

I could only imagine we're just scratching the surface.

Jamie:

Literally just scratching the

Scott:

surface. No doubt.

Jamie:

I mean, that needs to be like, with all of our interviews now, we may need to bring up a billeting question on every single episode.

Scott:

Yeah. What's your best billeting story?

Jamie:

Bro. It has to be. We need to add that to all of our

Scott:

Yeah. But it's, you know, it's just like it's part of what also makes the game great is that the, you know, regardless of the funny stories and like all the other things, but just think about how families open up their homes to hockey players. You know, it's it's pretty unreal.

Jamie:

Yeah. Does that happen in, like, soccer, football, basketball? Does that happen? Wanna It say does. Baseball does for, like, the, like, summer summer league, summer ball.

Scott:

Could be.

Jamie:

Like, for, like, for, like, college players. I'm gonna say they like, some of those kids go up to, like, those Massachusetts leagues, and they stay with, with a family. But, like, hockey, I think it's just different. Right? I mean, I I've never heard of anybody building for basketball or lacrosse

Scott:

Yeah.

Jamie:

Or or, you know, I've just never heard

Speaker 4:

of it. Yeah.

Jamie:

You know, hockey is just a different animal, I think.

Scott:

Yeah. So, anyway, this is a super cool interview. Yes. Definitely would love to have those guys on again. We probably talked to them for ages.

Scott:

But what do think? We, kick it over to them now?

Jamie:

Absolutely, bud. You know, I hope you guys enjoy, Austin and Johnny, from the Hockey Guys. Hope you guys have fun. See you

Scott:

on the other side. Enjoy.

Speaker 3:

Alright. Here we are, guys, with our next interview. Johnny and Austin from the Hockey Guys. Man, guys, thanks so much for doing this. Really appreciate having you guys on.

Speaker 4:

Oh, thanks for having us. We're pumped.

Scott:

Dude, it's our pleasure.

Speaker 5:

Since we've done a podcast. So good to be back.

Speaker 3:

Yeah? Alright. Cool. Glad it was us. So, I you know, tell everybody tell our audience what you guys are up to these days.

Speaker 3:

Just I have I feel like most of our audience knows you guys are. But just in case, you know, some don't or they're not caught up with you guys, what are you guys up to today?

Speaker 4:

Fair phrase, you take the lead on that one, bud.

Speaker 5:

Well, you know, we're kinda getting through that quarter quarter benchmark of the NHL season. So, we've been busy trying to reach new teams, keep working with different teams as we've worked with, over half the NHL now. So we're just trying to knock teams off our list, keep seeing different arenas, see meet keep meeting new people around the cities, and just keep building the game, basically, with the audience that we've built. And going into the Christmas year, we're we're excited to share some stories with you guys.

Scott:

Nice, man. That's awesome. Yeah. I mean, just from, like, your Instagram and getting to know you guys a bit more, like, you got a massive following. And just, like, how, like, how did, like, where did this kinda all start?

Scott:

Like, where where was, like, the paper and napkin, like, conversation? What was that like? Like, did you where you are today? Is this where you had set out to be from the beginning, you know, in terms of creating content? Like, what's been the evolution of, like, you know, the hockey guys?

Speaker 4:

It's that's that's always a funny question because it it really was an accident. So we were all Is there a teammates, and it was because we're we're, what, 21 year old freshmen going in, and it was COVID. And so we had nothing else to do. All we were doing that first semester was working out, practicing, no games. School was online.

Speaker 4:

It was it was kind of fucking awesome, to be honest. Sorry.

Scott:

Can I swear?

Speaker 4:

I didn't

Jamie:

ask you.

Speaker 4:

No. Okay. You're explicit. Yeah.

Speaker 3:

We swear all the time.

Speaker 4:

So I could just be be myself to you. Upset, dude. That's what we're looking for. And one of the guys, Lawson, he had this app on his phone called TikTok, and none of us had ever heard of it, or maybe Friz had a few of the other guys, but I I didn't I didn't even have the app, honestly, until four months into the hockey guys started. Gotcha.

Speaker 4:

But he was filming us and doing, you know, just being buddies, hanging out, whatever, and he was posting it on his own account. And he got kinda tired of that, so he made this random account and called it the hockey guys because we're guys that play hockey. And a couple videos went viral of just us being ourselves hanging out, being boys, whatever. And after a couple months of that, we kinda all got together and we were like, hey, This is getting some traction. You guys wanna, like, maybe take this a little more seriously?

Speaker 4:

And then so that's kinda how we transitioned into, you know, this being our job and our company that we own now, and it's just snowballed into what it is today. And we got involved with the NHL the first time with that Winter Classic game in Minneapolis. Yeah. No fucking cold one. It was, like, negative 30.

Speaker 4:

And it was brutal. If it wasn't for all those fireball shots, I I don't know if we would have made it. But we we there, we met we met some pretty cool people that work at the NHL, and we kinda pitched them the idea, like, hey. Look. In the in The US specifically, the game needs to grow.

Speaker 4:

Canada, they got it. No worries. Like, we grow up. We come out of the womb with fucking wheels on. But in The States, there's a lot of people where if you mention names like Connor McDavid, Sydney Crosby, Wayne Gretzky, they're not they have no idea who that is.

Speaker 4:

But everyone knows who Tom Brady is. Everyone knows who LeBron is. Right? So we wanna grow the game in The States. They love that idea, and that's kinda what we've been riding on.

Speaker 4:

And we bring a different aspect to it. Like a lot of hockey creators, they they're strictly hockey based. So if you don't already know the game, it might be tough for you to, like, kinda follow along. We try to, you know, bring a lighter side to it, a friendlier side, and, you know, we we've even had times where, you know, we're explaining what an offside is to people, which is when you think about it, sounds easy, but it's a lot harder than it than it seems. But that's only if you grew up with the game.

Speaker 4:

Right? So growing the game specifically in The US is that's our main goal.

Scott:

Amazing.

Speaker 3:

My wife, my kids have been playing since he's five, so, like, eight years now. My wife still doesn't know what off size is.

Speaker 4:

It's hard. Icing's another hard one to explain. It's fucking

Jamie:

Dude, it's

Speaker 4:

It's like, if you don't know, it's like, oh, shit.

Speaker 3:

Yeah. She's like I'm like I'm like, Dance, I'm like, Dominic's not back checking. She's like, what do you mean? What's a back check? I'm like, never mind.

Scott:

Yeah. I I I'm totally gonna date myself right now, but so so I'm when I was probably in the first grade, so I'm 46 now. So we're talking, like, mid eighties. My dad who started getting season tickets to the Devils. And when I started going, they still had a two line passing.

Scott:

Oh,

Speaker 4:

shit. Yeah. Okay.

Scott:

And that was like a whole another level of, like, trying to, like, explain to people, like, why are they blowing the whistle now? You know? It's like between icing, offsides, and two line passing, like, game was so different. Is a crazy way

Speaker 4:

to play the game back then. Totally. Yeah. Actually, if we were going to Devils games in the eighties, I I just kinda thought of this now. A good family friend of ours, he was on Devils for a long time, Joe Cirella.

Speaker 4:

He was a defenseman. Yeah. Joe Cirella. In the eighties and nineties. He's a good family friend of ours.

Speaker 4:

He he grew up down the street from my dad.

Scott:

Oh, no way. That's wild. Oh,

Speaker 3:

is that right? Yeah. That's cool.

Scott:

Yeah. Wow. Yeah. They well, there are still some old timers old timers. I like it.

Scott:

But, like, Randy Velaschak, he's around here. Kenny Dadsdenka, Bruce Driver, see him. He plays men's he plays goalie in men's

Speaker 4:

league. Superstar.

Scott:

And is a total beast apparently and takes no shit from nobody.

Speaker 4:

Oh, yeah. Not a chance.

Scott:

No. But in any event, yeah, I know just like the rules of hockey and explaining to people like my wife likewise, like, there's some things she's like, I don't think I understand that yet. But, I mean, explaining you know, like, getting in front of, like, folks in The United States and, you know, just putting like, blowing more wind into the sails of the game is just it's it's amazing because especially on the heels of Four Nations, like, that was massive with, like, the Ka Chunk Brothers fighting, and it's just

Jamie:

Yeah.

Scott:

Like, I'm I'm elbow deep in it. Right? So is Jamie. Like, we all are right now, But, like, you you kinda so, you know, for some of us, it's like, oh, yeah. Of course.

Scott:

Like, this is the most amazing game, but there's tons of people that just, like you said, know Tom Brady. But, you know Yeah. Won't know Conor McDavid. So hats off to you guys for, like Yeah.

Speaker 3:

It's awesome.

Scott:

Putting all the effort and energy behind it. So so as far as, like, the the demographics that you're interacting with, you mentioned social media. Obviously, TikTok is where this all started. Do you feel like you're you're capturing, like, a wide group of people in terms of, like, age groups or, like, mostly the younger demographic? Or do you feel like at this point, like, the social platforms are just kinda transcending all age groups?

Speaker 4:

I think our audience grows with us, like, as we got get older because we started this when we were 22, 23 Yeah. Ish. Now we're 27. Right? And so the audience definitely grows with us grows up with us.

Speaker 4:

Our audience for the most part, though, I would say they're not hockey people. Interesting. They just like seeing us fuck around and have fun. And because I think I think hockey players are also, like, a lot different than other athletes in the way we talk, the way we our sense of humor is, the one liners, stuff like that. So I think that's new to a lot of people, and it's captivating, especially when we, you know, we're hanging out just chirping each other, whatever, crushing beers, having fun.

Speaker 4:

Right? So I think I think that is still new to people, but our demographic is probably, I would say, 70% women, the other, like, 30% women. Oh, that's interesting. Between probably between twenty and thirty five.

Scott:

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's awesome. I guess the rise of the women's game also.

Scott:

You know?

Speaker 4:

Oh, yeah.

Scott:

Which is also super I mean, I haven't been to, like, a professional women's game. I don't know if you have you guys also, like, reached out with them and worked with them

Speaker 3:

as well?

Speaker 5:

We've worked with the PHL a few times. And

Scott:

That's awesome.

Speaker 5:

We're actually not me and another guy actually hosted their purple carpet. They call it for their draft.

Scott:

Oh, no way.

Speaker 5:

Yeah. Players were coming up and we had didn't really know who they were because we just had to announce their name and, like, interview them, like, while we're on camera and stuff, and we're getting roasted pretty

Speaker 4:

hard

Speaker 5:

for that.

Speaker 3:

Was gonna say that's not easy, man. That's a tough

Speaker 5:

No. No. Gosh.

Scott:

No shit.

Speaker 5:

But, yeah, we worked with the PHL, and it's been really PWHL, and it's been really cool to see the growth of it and just hear, like, the fans' stories on why they like it. But and I kinda like how they have some different rules too. It kinda spices things up a little bit.

Speaker 3:

Do they? What's the difference? I I didn't know the difference between the two. What do they do?

Scott:

Body contact checking. Right? But

Speaker 4:

They could check now. Showing.

Speaker 5:

Oh, yeah. They can check.

Scott:

That's great.

Speaker 5:

Like, can Yeah. Yeah. There's certain rules on it, but the most interesting rule I find is they call it jailbreak, and it's where if your team scores a shorthanded goal, the person that's in the penalty box gets to come out.

Scott:

No shit.

Speaker 5:

Yeah. So you basically, you you get scored on and you lose your power play.

Speaker 4:

That's a pretty crazy ride in. I didn't know that one, but I'm I am glad to see the women's game growing the way it is and giving girls an opportunity that's not just playing for their national team after they're done college. Because back here, like, growing up even and into my pro days, like, I was skating with girl like, the college girls and even some of the pro girls, some of the team Canada girls, and, like, they're so fucking talented. Like, their hands, I'll never have hands like that. Like, oh my god.

Speaker 4:

Like, it was insane. Their skating is insane. So it's really nice to see that they have somewhere to go once they're done college hockey.

Scott:

No doubt.

Speaker 3:

You know, it's funny funny you say that, Johnny. There there's a Canadian woman. She's a woman now. She's probably 40, early forties. Her name's Karamori.

Speaker 3:

She she was the she played on the on the Canadian women's team, and she was the Princeton girls ice hockey coach here for a while.

Speaker 4:

You know? Oh, nice.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, man. She she married a New England patriot, a guy who was who was in the in the all star game for, special teams. I I for the life of me, can't can't think of his name right now. But she's a big time, you know, Canadian, you know, who was on she went to Brown. I think she was I think she was an all American in ice hockey and field hockey.

Speaker 3:

You know? Oh, yeah. Just a stud. And and you watch her skate, dude. Because I remember Dominic did the Princeton camp, and she ran it years ago, and he was, like, seven.

Speaker 3:

I mean, she glides, dude. Like, oh, yeah.

Speaker 4:

Yeah. Their skating is phenomenal. Yeah. Right? Yeah.

Speaker 4:

It's phenomenal. So it's really nice to see the the growth there.

Scott:

Yeah. It's awesome. So just kind of like touching touching on like where your journey started. Right? So like in terms of, like, you guys met in college, but just like, let's we rewind the tape and before then, like, Austin, Johnny, like, what what were your journeys like through the game of hockey?

Scott:

Like, when did you start? Were you multisport athletes? Did you love hockey from jump? Did you, like, transition to a later? You know, when did you think you were gonna take it seriously?

Scott:

Kinda like all those things. And, like, where did your families get it right? Where did they get it wrong? Because one of the things we are always going back and forth in, like, for example, you know, a kid has like a game where, okay, you know, like, I'll give him a pass on like, you know, technical stuff. Right?

Scott:

Like, he doesn't need to be like, you know, a sniper right now. But if he's not gonna put in much effort, it's kind of like, yo, what the fuck? So sometimes, you know, I wanna, know, say, hey, listen, dude. Come on. Let's go.

Scott:

Like, you know, why are we doing this? But then other times, like, he's young. Like, how hard should I be on him? So just curious, like, what your parents' dynamic was like, if it was helpful, not helpful, and she can kinda just both of you, like, you know, kinda share what your journeys were like getting into the game of hockey.

Speaker 4:

Yeah. So it's it'll be kinda nice because you'll hear Manitoba experience and an Ontario one. Here we go. And I'm sure those are a little different because the kids are different from those provinces. But but no.

Speaker 4:

Yeah. Growing up, my my dad, you know, came from Italian immigrants, so he played the game in the sixties and seventies. My dad was a goalie. He's pretty good. Had a cup of coffee in the Ontario league and you know?

Speaker 4:

But the way he transitioned, he ended up just going to school at 18, becoming an accountant, all that. And then my mom came to Canada from England in 1967. So that was the last time the Leafs won the cup. So that year, they fell in love with the Leafs. Like, oh my god.

Speaker 4:

What is this sport? I love it. So my both my parents are diehard Leafs fans. And that was kind of instilled in in me and my siblings growing up. And we I I started skating when I was about three.

Speaker 4:

And my dad, he was always my whole career going from minor hockey junior college to pro. He was always kind of my rock and my stabilizer because he was nothing but honest with me. And he there was times definitely when he was hard on me for sure. You know, if we're just talking about minor hockey, you know, there was times where, yeah, you're hearing it in the fucking car if you didn't put in the effort or you're, you know, you're making mistakes, you shouldn't. But he was he was more like that with me than he was, say, my older brother just because, you know, two different kids.

Speaker 4:

I can handle that. Not that my older brother couldn't. It was more like, k, you gotta talk to him differently kind of thing. Right. The I think the most important thing and a a thing that parents get away from today, like, you can't look at your five year old, your 10 year old, your 13 year old, and just be like, how do I get my kid to the OHL?

Speaker 4:

How do I get them to division one? How do I get them to the NHL? Like, seeing parents freak out about that now is the craziest thing to me. And I was lucky. My my dad was never like that.

Speaker 4:

He was always just in the stands, didn't say a fucking word, watched me play, talk about it in the car after. And I think that that helped a lot because if you're good, they'll find you. That is the biggest thing.

Scott:

Right.

Speaker 4:

And it's it's just let your kid fucking play and you can't teach passion. If your kid doesn't have it, he doesn't have it. If he has it, then he's got it. Right? You could that and and that corresponds with or correlates, sorry, with with work ethic.

Speaker 4:

You can teach how to skate. You get to teach skills, all this. You could teach little parts of the game. Right? But you can't teach the the drive behind everything.

Speaker 4:

And I just think that, you know, these parents, like, they they look for shortcuts and, you know, spending ridiculous amounts of money. If my kid has the newest stick, he's gonna be better. It's like when you're eight years old, you don't need a fucking $300 stick. You know? Like like, my parents never bought me.

Speaker 4:

I was using hand me down shit until I was 15, 14 when I was good enough to where, you know, the high end shit would make a difference. Right? But but yeah, like how how my parents, you know, they were they were always very supportive of me my mom and my dad my mom that she understood the game just as much as my dad did And, you know, they would let me know, like I said, when I played like shit. But the best advice I ever got from my dad, and this got close to my OHL draft year, was when someone tells you you're shit, ignore them. And when someone tells you you're great, ignore them.

Speaker 4:

You have to stay level every time because 90% of the game is mental. And I think that's so important to instill in kids now. And especially with and I don't mean to sound like a fucking geezer here, but, like, you know, with social media and seeing shit on social media, like, didn't have that when we were growing up. Right? So that's even more influence to get in your own fucking head.

Jamie:

Yep.

Speaker 4:

Because I the the the mental game is something I struggled with my whole career and not thinking I'm good enough or where I should be and stuff like that. Right? So, you know, thank God I always had my parents to kinda bring me back down to earth if I got too big or raise me up if I got too small. Right? But, yeah, they always believed in me.

Speaker 4:

And, you know, I went through a bunch of injuries my whole life, and I remember when I so when I was 14, I broke my back. I got hit from behind it. I broke my back, and I was out for a long time. I was out, and I couldn't go up and down stairs. Like, it was bad.

Speaker 4:

I was almost paralyzed from the neck down. Jesus. And Jesus. That summer, my dad was renting me ice at 6AM because I asked him to. And I said, I gotta get back in shape.

Speaker 4:

I got my draft year coming up. Let's go. So he'd rent me the ice at 6AM, and my him and my mom would be awake and to drive me to the ice. I would just go on by myself with a bucket of pucks. And I'll never forget.

Speaker 4:

My mom said, honey, I want you to do the drills that make the other kids puke. But she said it in the most, like, loving way, you know, like, almost like a fucking pinch on the cheek after that. Yeah. Yeah. And a kiss on the forehead, but that that that that's, like, how I was raised, and I was, you know, raised to also play the game the right way.

Speaker 4:

You know? Like, don't worry about toe dragging and fucking doing all this fancy shit. Worry about making the right play, finishing your checks, and never taking shit from anyone, and always be the hardest worker on the ice. And another thing too, like, I remember one time my dad, he gave me shit because I I was going for a change, and I was kinda just putting the skis on, you know, on the way back to the bench.

Speaker 3:

Coasting to the bench?

Speaker 4:

Oh, fuck. When I got when I got in the car, I I think I I was 11 years old. He hammered? Years old. He fought you fucking skate hard to the fucking bench.

Speaker 4:

But, like, again, like, it wasn't, like, in, like, a way where it was, like, a negative thing or, like, he was shitting on me. It was no. He's instilling in my head, like

Jamie:

Work out things.

Speaker 4:

Fucking work hard.

Scott:

Yeah.

Speaker 4:

And when you hit, make sure the other guy fucking feels it kind of thing. Yeah. Hit, like, a ton of bricks, pass hard, shoot hard. But he would always say to me at the end before every game, again, from when I was a little kid to when I was fucking 26 years old in my last year of pro, Always have fun. That's the most important thing.

Speaker 4:

Always have fun.

Scott:

Yeah. Yep. Dude, that's awesome. Awesome. Well, I

Speaker 4:

I love you. Yeah.

Speaker 3:

Let's hear it. Oh,

Speaker 5:

yeah. So I started when I was four. My my dad played, like, just locally, like, nothing nothing crazy. He was from a small town outside of Winnipeg, but just some of my, like, memories growing up there, a lot of it was just on the outdoor rink. Like, naturally, obviously, Winnipeg is very cold.

Speaker 5:

So we get ice, outdoor ice a long time of the winter. That's like our whole winter. There's probably over 40 outdoor rinks in Winnipeg and they're well kept and

Jamie:

it's jealous.

Speaker 5:

So that was sort of my childhood where spend a lot of time out there with him or with friends. We'd go at lunch or after school like there. It was always very accessible. And then just naturally, yeah, like Winnipeg and Manitoba, the competition is very it's limited. There's very good hockey, but it's also limited.

Speaker 5:

So when I was 15, I left and I went to a a hockey academy out in Kelowna, BC. So that was kinda my first sort of step of really trying pursue hockey. Like, I played football, growing up as well, and that was my other my other, like, number one sport. So when I came to 15, that's kinda where I took that step to take hockey more seriously. And, I loved it.

Speaker 5:

I loved moving away, but I think with my parents and stuff, my dad always one thing he would do is because he he loved watching hockey at the original Jets season tickets. He's a big hockey fan. But something that I always thought that he did well was when he would he would always put me in hockey camps, like,

Speaker 4:

all the time.

Speaker 5:

Nice. And he would stay and he would listen to what they were saying, and he would, like, kinda take that in and whether it was all good or some bad, he would take it in and was able to kinda re coach me through it, not just go to the camp, drop me off, and whatever. Maybe I didn't learn a single thing, but if he he did, so he he would use it later on. So I thought we would always have good talks and stuff. And, like, growing up, he my mom would drive me around a bunch too, but he would also drive me around, like, just because Winnipeg is so close to, like, USHL teams and few NHL teams.

Speaker 5:

I he would always take me on those road trips seven, eight hours down to The US to go to those camps and stuff, and we'd see how the American players were playing and and just stuff like that. So I have definitely have a lot of memories with him. Not nothing too crazy with getting mad, but he'd get more so get mad if, like, if I wasn't, like, dialing it in when I should be. Like, I'd be staying up too late or something, and he'd tell, like, you gotta get but he would make sure one thing that he installed in me was warming up. He would he would if he could tell, he'd be like, oh, did you probably didn't warm up today because you weren't awake the first half or something like that.

Speaker 5:

Like, he would make me warm up, run the stairs in the hotel room before the game, get me going. And so he he definitely has routines and all that. And sometimes when I would when he started to say the same routines, the same pep talk when we were in college, I said, I've heard

Speaker 4:

it for twenty years. I got it.

Speaker 5:

I'm good. I know how to do it. I'm good. So that's the only annoyance part I would claim is yes. It might take a little bit to get that routine into your kid.

Speaker 5:

And it does work for what you from when you can see them perform, but eventually, they will get it themselves, and you should just trust that they will bring it upon themselves to try and get them to play the best they can.

Scott:

Yeah. So question like the so you mentioned 15 was kind of the age where you you you went away. Was that something that you sought out to do? Were you, like, kinda recruited to go to an academy? Like, what was that process like?

Speaker 5:

So it's it was actually, like, one of the first hockey now they're all over Canada, but it was one of the first ones. It was called pursuit of excellence. And what they would do was they would come to Winnipeg because the owner was actually from just outside of Winnipeg. They would come to Winnipeg and put on a hockey camp each summer, and they would install like, it was a big skating camp mostly. So that's kinda where we heard about it.

Speaker 5:

And the camp was just crazy how much detail and every like, from video and the coaching and everything, the detail they put into the camp was just incredible. And then that's what they would kind of advertise that you'd get all year round if you go to the school on this program. So it was kinda just fell into my lap. I said to him said to him, you know what? We are hitting a point where because in Winnipeg, the way the the teams work is you're growing, you're playing with people in your area, and that's it.

Speaker 5:

Like, you can't go to a different team that's ten minutes away from you if you're born in this area or you live in this area.

Speaker 4:

Right.

Speaker 5:

And my area had maybe three good players, and we would we are we'd lose every single year. Like, we would never win games. So we're just at this point where, like, we're not gonna get out of this for another three, four years. Right. Let's get out.

Scott:

Unless the family were to move. Yeah. Like, that's the only other way.

Speaker 4:

Yeah. Right.

Speaker 3:

You know, it's funny. That's it's so different here. I mean, there are teams everywhere. I I almost kinda like it how you how you guys do it. Because here, kids are leaving every year to go find a better team or go find a better coach.

Speaker 3:

There's so many triple a and tier two teams in our area that it's it's all over the place. It's not even close to like that. I I kinda like, you know, the Minnesota model, how you guys do it. It it's insane here with people moving every year. It's insane.

Scott:

Yeah. Or driving. Yeah. Go ahead. Sorry, Johnny.

Speaker 4:

Oh, no. I was gonna say, like, stuff like that because as we got older, you see kids, you know, leaving. So I grew up in Hamilton and, you know, leaving the Hamilton Niagara area and going to play for the teams in Toronto and that stuff like that that goes back to what I was saying earlier. Like, look, if they're good, if you're good, they'll find you. Like, you don't you don't need to seek out and, you know, try to be a a big fish in a small pond or any stuff like that.

Speaker 4:

Like, it's all at least in Ontario, it was all relatively the same. Everyone was at the triple a level when we were playing there. And, yeah, like, the it people just get it in their head, like, oh, this minor hockey organization, like, they're top notch. My kid's gonna get drafted from there. We get a scholarship from there.

Speaker 4:

Like, no. It's not that's not how it works. You know? And and that, you know, I feel bad because sometimes the parents just honestly themselves don't know any better.

Scott:

Yeah. So so for you guys, like, were when did you realize that, you know, you might have been, like, a cut above the rest where you had an opportunity? Like, you you knew it, like, deep down that, like, you had an like, you were good enough to take it to the next level if that's what you wanted. Like, this is something you realized earlier on, or was it more, like, later, like, you know, closer to 16, 17? I you know, when you realized that, you know, you could really make a go of it.

Speaker 4:

I was probably around thirteen Thirteen. When I when I started to realize, like, okay. This can be a thing. I was I was approached by the agency that I ended up going with, Octagon, which they're they they represent the second most players in the NHL. The first is Newport Agency.

Speaker 4:

They're huge. So the two the three big dogs in the NHL are Newport, Octagon, and CAA. And and so they they approached me when I was 13 and, you know, took me and my parents out to dinner. I was

Speaker 5:

kinda like, oh, fuck. Like, this

Jamie:

is this

Speaker 4:

is pretty cool. You know? Like, they they got some they got some lot of players in the show and all this and, you know, but it it wasn't anything like these these other small agencies or family advisers where they're making kids and their families pay them $5 a month to get them a fucking junior trial. Like, you shouldn't you should not be paying an agent unless you sign an NHL, AHL, or high level Europe contract. Mhmm.

Speaker 4:

Other than that, even ECHO, you shouldn't be paying your agent. Like, that that that's just how it is. Like Right. I and I feel bad because nowadays, like, everyone becomes a fucking agent. It's like, no.

Speaker 4:

Are you NHLPA certified? And are you charging a kid and their family a monthly fee without signing a professional contract? Like, those are the things, like, people have to look out for. And and and I just think guys like that are blood suckers. Right?

Speaker 4:

And taking advantage of people, again, that don't know any better or haven't been through the process before. Right. But, yeah, I was I was approached by Octagon when I was 13, signed with them. They they would have development camps for us every summer, and, know, I was 13, and I'm skating with fuck. Actually, the the first Octagon camp I was at, it was me, Jacob Chickering, and Leon Dreitzel.

Speaker 4:

In in Shit. Rooming together. Shit. Yeah. So it was Dreitzel's first year in Canada coming over from Germany, and he was gonna go play in the WHL there for I think he started off in French George or something like that.

Jamie:

But Holy shit.

Speaker 4:

So I I rooming with him was funny, and I remember he he came down on me in one of the one on one drills, and I'm like, holy fuck. This guy is good.

Speaker 3:

Really? You you noticed, like, right away.

Speaker 4:

Yeah. So he was 16. I was 13.

Scott:

And Oh, jeez.

Speaker 4:

Yeah. He Big difference. He he was a big boy at that age too because I think he already played in the Dell for one year at that point, which is crazy. Yeah. And, yeah, he walked me pretty good.

Speaker 4:

But my claim to fame is that I I guessed where he was going on the one and I poke him. So fucking That is so okay. Suck it, Leon. But but, yeah, like, it was being around those guys, learning from them. You know, we had guys like Fraser McLaren who played with the Leafs.

Speaker 4:

He came on and taught us how to fight, stuff like that. They were they were really training us, and that's when I, you know, took it seriously. But then as I got into junior, again, like I I I told you guys earlier, you know, my my self conference, my own head, that was that was one of my biggest downfalls. And I'm not saying, you know, that that was everything, but it definitely played a role. I would get in my own head a lot, especially when the OHL scouts because, you know, being from Ontario, my it's funny saying this now, but back then, I used to think that if you played division one, that meant you sucked because you weren't good enough to play in the OHL.

Speaker 4:

That's that that's how kids in Ontario back then grew up with that mindset.

Jamie:

That doesn't surprise me at all.

Speaker 4:

It's crazy. So, you know, it's like, oh, I gotta fucking make the OHL. Okay. And, you know, I never ended up getting drafted. I got into high school, started talking to chicks, stuff like that, you know, like, you get a little distracted.

Speaker 4:

And so I, you know, I really kinda screwed myself at the beginning there, but, you know, I just wasn't focused. But once I got into junior, started, you know, getting focused again. So I I went to junior when I was 16, ended up playing five years of junior there. And Yeah. I was talking to a few d one schools, just, you know, nothing was working out, you know, five nine defensemen, not too many people want those.

Speaker 4:

So yeah, I got a call my 20 year old year from Wisconsin Superior division three, and I was like, yeah. Fuck. Sure. That's all I got. Let's go.

Speaker 4:

And then that's where I met this guy's you know? So everyone has their own path, and I always joke, like, you know, we made the NHL just not the way we thought we were going to.

Jamie:

That's right.

Speaker 4:

Everyone's got a different path. Right? So I I wouldn't change anything for the world. And and even I had a shot in the OHL for a little bit there. Doug Gilmore with the Kingston Frontenacs came to my house and

Scott:

Oh, wow.

Speaker 4:

I signed signed a contract with them when I was 17. And second day of training camp, it sounds cliche, but tore my actually Oh, shit. I was a fucking idiot at the training camp, and I was running around and trying to take everyone's fucking head off like a maniac. And I skated from the other end of the ice and bulldozed the captain Roland McEwen, who is I believe in the American Hockey League right now, cranked them. And everyone everyone on the everyone in the camp, guys on my own fucking team, were letting me know that that was not a smart decision.

Speaker 4:

Right. I had some boys chasing me around, and I'm like, okay. Here we go. Yeah. Bring it on, fellas.

Speaker 4:

And, yeah, I went and picked up the puck behind the net, go for a wheel, right up center ice, and guy stuck his knee out on me, tore my MCL, had got sent right home, and that was a tough one. Sure. You know, battle battle my way back there. But you know what? Again, I wouldn't change anything to be where I am now.

Speaker 4:

So that that's the other thing. You know, I still ended up playing two years pro, and I was happy with that. But I think the key with any kid who is going no matter what level you're playing at, you're you're playing you know, when you get to juniors especially, you're playing junior b, junior a, major junior, college d one, d three, minor pro, the NHL, always have the same mentality as if you were in the NHL. And that's the only way you'll succeed. And that goes from the game the day before prep, game day prep, warming up, all that shit.

Speaker 4:

You gotta do what you gotta do. Do what you need to do to perform your best. And if that's going to the gym three times a day, go to the fucking gym three times a day. If that's going to the gym once a week, go to the gym once a week. You gotta do what you gotta do and always have that professional mentality.

Scott:

Yeah. You know, funny story real quick, and it was so you talked about it. We you know, you guys all got to the NHL just in a different way. So I grew up in New Jersey, and I can assure you in the mid nineties, New Jersey high school hockey was was not not nothing special. Still isn't that great, although there are some really good hockey players that come out

Speaker 4:

of New Jersey.

Scott:

Better. It's better. But so there was a so I was the only kid on my team who was playing, like, club hockey or travel hockey. And in The States back then, we didn't even have triple a, at least in our area. Double a was the best.

Scott:

The only time I played a triple a team was when we had a tournament up in Montreal. We got fucked and smoked. But nonetheless, I'm joining my high school hockey team, and it's a bunch of, like, fucking misfits, you know, just like all walks of life. A lot of kids that just like the game and now had a chance to play. You know?

Scott:

So we there's this one kid, this Indian kid on the team, like, and bones, Sunny Meta. Right? And Sunny Meta Sunny Meta is just, he, he was a cool cat, you know, whatever, but, like, like, not a hockey player by any stretch. Nonetheless, fast forward, Sunny Meta, it he brought back the Stanley Cup to my high school in New Jersey as the AGM of the Florida Panthers.

Speaker 4:

So Unreal.

Scott:

Un unreal. So this kid had he like, post college, he was a professional poker player. He was a musician, ended up getting into data analytics, who did video review or something along those lines for the devils, ended up in Florida, now he's the AGM. So, yeah, man, you never know what life's

Jamie:

gonna Yeah. Pass at

Speaker 4:

Honestly, life like like, especially hockey, the hockey world, it has a funny way of opening up doors. And the hockey world is the smallest world. You always meet or play with guys where they know some guy up in fucking Yellowknife or something like that. Like, it's crazy. Like, it's it's just insane.

Speaker 4:

Yeah. But that's one of the beauties of the game.

Scott:

No doubt. No doubt.

Speaker 3:

It's what makes it special.

Scott:

So awesome. Really? Yeah. Awesome. No.

Scott:

So so the Hockey Academy piece, like, obviously, you were mentioning it was not as prevalent when you were there as it is now. Like, they're popping up in The United States. Everywhere. You know, likewise, kinda seems like maybe everywhere. But, like, how did what was that experience like in in in terms of, like or could you was was that, like, a difference maker in your trajectory going to an academy?

Scott:

Or do you think if you would just you know, you'd stayed the course and not gone to an academy, things could have ended up similarly?

Speaker 5:

No. I I at least personally, I think it a 100% helped me because just with the amount of skills skill sessions and I mean, like, to put it this way, at least in Winnipeg, like, if you're in, like, AA, AAA, I'm sure they're good. They're they're good coaches, but, like, that's not their full time thing.

Speaker 4:

Right.

Scott:

Right.

Speaker 5:

It's not what they're relying on. But when you go to those academies or at least the ones that the one I went to, like, that is their full time thing. They're trying to be a coach. And I found just like that helped my skill a lot. So something that I truly hold to this day, and I think it would have happened, but, like, the WHL draft is a year before the OHL draft.

Speaker 5:

So I didn't get drafted in the WHL. I knew I wanted to go to college anyways, but, like, still still something you hear about and talk about. And so that after that, after my WHL drafters when I went to that academy

Speaker 3:

Mhmm.

Speaker 5:

And I found, like, everything excelled like crazy. Just being on the ice, being with better players, like, my whole game stepped up in such a high level and such a high jump that I yeah. I truly think if the draft was like the OHL draft at that age, I would have got drafted. That's how, like, just brought me into a new life, basically. You're just on a losing team with the same guys that

Jamie:

Local kids.

Speaker 5:

Yeah. You're just probably not even like, I wasn't even friends with half of them. So it was just like, just the same cycle.

Speaker 4:

So

Speaker 5:

then you go to this place that's from got, like, guys from all over and that you're all there to, like, for the same goal. You're all with billet families and Yeah. You're in the school together. You're going to the workouts before school, then you're going on the ice after school, and then you're billing with some of them. So you just build like a lot of a lot more of a tighter bond.

Speaker 5:

And I've I had a ton of fun. My brother actually did the same thing. My younger brother, he went at the same age to the same place. So we we thought really highly of it. And you also get to see, at least what I did, I really cherished it because I got to see a lot of British Columbia and Alberta where I would have never have seen and driven around and

Speaker 4:

Right. These

Speaker 5:

things. So I I loved it. My experience was amazing. And then I also the next year did the same thing and I went to Omaha, Nebraska where they also had a very strong AAA program.

Speaker 4:

Yeah.

Speaker 5:

And did the same thing. I've got to tour around all these different places in The US and you're there with guys that all wanna get to the next level. You're all there dedicated to hockey And I I loved it. I loved every second of it. So I it's there's different ones that I hear about too where they're starting to get watered down and they're overcharging because they are expensive just with the amount of ice.

Speaker 5:

And some of them you live on campus, some of them you live with a billet. So I think every case is unique, but mine was definitely one that helps me big time.

Speaker 3:

You do either of you guys have any crazy, like, billet stories? I mean, the reason the reason I ask is because we had Alex Kim on a couple episodes ago, the episode 41, and he he's with the Anaheim Junior Ducks now, but he played at, like, Colorado College and Miami, Ohio. Scott, where else did he play?

Scott:

Miami, Ohio? Miami, Ohio. Miami, Ohio. Out at

Speaker 5:

Yeah. In, like Michigan.

Speaker 3:

In Michigan. And he was like he tells a story where this is a kid from, like, Southern California. Right? So, like, everything's slower there, something like that. And he goes out to Michigan, and he goes into the into the into the garage, and he sees, like, like, a like a tarp hanging, like a white tarp with this kind of see through.

Speaker 3:

And he sees blood, like, dripping on the other side of it. He's like, oh my god. There's, a person dead behind this tarp, and he goes around, and it's a deer hanging there. And the guy that's and the the billet dad was like, you know, yeah. You know, we butcher this.

Speaker 3:

This is gonna feed us all winter. And he's like, what the where the fuck am I? Right? Like so I'm I'm curious if you guys have any funny billet stories or any cool things.

Speaker 4:

Oh, I got a I got a couple. Playing playing juniors in Ontario, there's always a billet story. But, yeah, one well, first of all, my billets in junior, they were the best people. I my they're they're a young couple in their later thirties and two kids at the basement of myself. That's it.

Speaker 4:

I loved my situation too because I wasn't with anyone on the team. So it was kind of nice just to have my own space, but I would have the boys over all the time. Nice. They were they were awesome. You know, they were buying me beer.

Speaker 4:

They're the mom was making my bed doing my laundry, cleaning up my fucking spitters, like, all this. Like, I felt bad half the time, but she's like, no. I love doing laundry. I'm like, oh, fuck. K.

Speaker 4:

Great. This is good. Yeah. I don't even know how to turn on the fucking machine, so it's awesome. So they were they were the angels on earth.

Speaker 4:

I still keep in touch with them. They're awesome people.

Speaker 3:

That's very cool.

Speaker 4:

But a couple of the other guys had some different experiences. But I have a feeling

Speaker 3:

I know where you're going with this. Go ahead.

Speaker 4:

Oh oh, yeah. No. You're right. I'm in the fucking room. We got so what what we would do when I was playing junior a is the older guys sometimes would have practice in morning.

Speaker 4:

And then the I the guys that were still in high school, they would go later in the day or whatever. And so I was at this point, I was probably 18 or 19 and tying my skates, guy beside me, You know, he's he looks like a fucking ghost, and I'm like, you okay, bud? Like, what's going on? And he's like, man, you can't tell anyone. And I was like, no.

Speaker 4:

He's like, oh, yeah. And I'm like, is the husband at work? He goes, yeah. I'm like, shit. I was like, how was it?

Speaker 4:

And then he's he's giving me all the details. I'm like, fucking. Like, he goes out there. He can't even he's one of our skilled guys. He can't

Jamie:

even He was

Speaker 3:

a mess. Yeah. He was a total mess.

Speaker 4:

God. Coach was giving it to him all that. So I'm like, oh, fuck. Like, okay. So I just I I skate up to him.

Speaker 4:

I'm like, hey, bud. Like, why don't you just go to the fucking trainer's room, fake an injury for a sec. Go go get some Gato or something. And and so he does that. He fucks off.

Speaker 4:

And after he his his car actually wasn't starting, and so I had to give him a ride back. And he's just sitting there, like, that's what it's got. And I'm I'm like I'm like, you wanna talk about it? Like, you okay, man? Like, you wanna come over tonight?

Speaker 4:

Get you get you out of the house or whatever? He goes, I can't even look at the fucking guy at dinner.

Speaker 3:

I'm like, god. God. Uncomfortable.

Speaker 4:

I'm like, I'm so sorry, bud. And then and then fast forward a couple weeks. He's fucking bright eyed, bushy tailed, all this. I think he was getting a little bit more. And so I was like, oh, fuck.

Speaker 4:

He's getting used to it.

Speaker 3:

Yeah. I

Speaker 4:

was like, oh, you're living a good lifestyle over there, bud. So, yeah, a couple couple of that going on. And

Jamie:

I'm sure.

Speaker 4:

Yeah. So, you know, that was the only guy I played with that went through that, but then I know some other guys who played on different teams and different junior leagues that, you know, tea with miss McGee was a real thing. So Oh, yes.

Scott:

Not surprising.

Speaker 3:

Yeah. Yep. Young young blood.

Speaker 4:

Yes. Yeah. Tea with miss McGee. Yeah. Was gonna say for those of you that don't know,

Jamie:

there's a

Speaker 3:

young blood

Speaker 4:

reference. Yes. It was.

Speaker 3:

Absolutely. Oh, that's fucking funny.

Speaker 5:

Yeah. I was I was pretty lucky with all my billets too. Like, they're all great families all different ages and stuff like that, and they're had some, like, great kids. I thought, like, I I kind of have a story similar to the the one with the deer. Yeah.

Speaker 5:

My my billet family in Drayton Valley, Alberta, which is about an hour from Edmonton. My billet family, they were big hunters. They owned over 20 different guns.

Scott:

Oh shit.

Speaker 5:

So they would would also have bring bring back some food for us. I tried goose jerky and medicine this and that luckily I'm yeah. Yeah. Oh, yeah. It was all good.

Speaker 5:

Awesome. Because they didn't because they knew how to cook too, which was great. But my the billet story billet horror stories that I would always hear about, maybe it wasn't on every team, but it was definitely on a couple of teams. It's when the billets try and bill it for a profit. They try and have the kid to get that extra money.

Speaker 5:

And they're because

Speaker 4:

the team will give them, like, 400, $500 a week, right, for groceries.

Jamie:

100%. They

Speaker 4:

still do. There are some people that take advantage of that.

Speaker 3:

Yeah. Like, $500 per kid.

Speaker 5:

Yeah. Yeah. And that's when I hear of problems where they're giving them frozen microwaver bowl, little dinners,

Scott:

and

Speaker 5:

that's all they're getting for the night. They won't buy them little snacks or Gatorades or something because you can tell they're trying to do it for a profit.

Speaker 3:

They're taking advantage of that.

Speaker 5:

Some stories or I've heard where it's been tough, but I've I've been lucky with my bill of family. I still keep in touch with a bunch of them too. And So Yeah. No complaints, honestly. They're they're pretty lucky to have, like, families that open it up to kids, and they do it for the community.

Speaker 5:

And you hear about past guys they have doing dumb stuff in their house, and you just don't wanna be someone that they keep telling the story on to.

Speaker 3:

That's right. Right.

Jamie:

You don't wanna be part of the story.

Scott:

The legend of Austin.

Speaker 4:

Oh, yeah. No tea with miss McGill for you, bud, or what? No. No?

Scott:

Well, let let me ask you guys this question. In terms of billeting, because, you know, there's a there's a few there's a billet house, like, not far from where I am right now, and there's been some other families that have been approached by some junior teams to bill it. But, like, for any parent that's got a kid that might be in a position to do something like that, what what do you think are some of, like, the characteristics that, like, a kid needs to have in order to, like, have a good experience? I mean, I can't imagine every kid is gonna thrive moving away from home at a younger age. And, of course, I mean, 14 is different than 17.

Scott:

No doubt. But, you know, like, what any any thoughts about, like, you know, where a kid needs to be or, like, you know, like, the mindset going into something like that, moving away from home at a young age?

Speaker 4:

Yeah. Like you said, it does depend, like, if, you know, your first year in junior 16 or if, you know, you're a 20 you're a 20 year old vet in the league. Sure. Those are very two very different things. I would say, obviously, the concern would be for the younger guys.

Speaker 4:

Right? So you always gotta keep in mind you're in someone else's house, and that's the first thing. You you gotta offer to help out all this, you know, like when I when I was there, would drive the kids to school some days. Right? Like, there's little stuff like that.

Speaker 4:

Help out around the house as much as you can. Always be respectful. Clean up after yourself before your billet mom does. But but yeah. Like, just, you know, keep your manners about you and and and respect how they live.

Speaker 4:

Right? That that's a big thing. But, you know, if you're talking about, you know, getting homesick or, you know, adjusting to that change, I really do think it's on the older guys on the team to, you know, recognize that. Like, if you're a 19, 20 year old and junior, you gotta be talking to your 16, 17 year olds and saying, like, hey. Like, how are things like checking up on them, stuff like that.

Speaker 4:

Right? So it is on the responsibility of the older guys. That's how that's how it was when I was 16 and then that's how I was when I was 20. You you gotta be like that. Right?

Speaker 4:

And in the when I was 16 too, like, those were still the the tail end of probably the hazing days. And, you know, I had to do a bunch of shit, and I had to fight some guys and stuff like that. But, you know, at the end of the day, you do it So the older guys respect you. Right? And I think gone are those days for sure, but I always think the older guys gotta be taking care of the younger guys.

Speaker 4:

So that with that stuff, it's on the teammate as well.

Speaker 5:

Yeah. Yeah. I think it helps if you're younger. Like, even if you go before junior, like, I think it really like, when I first moved, I was also in a house with another player too, And that just helped doing things together, having and he and he went to the academy a year before I did. So he had kind of the lowdown of how things worked at the schedule and and all that.

Speaker 5:

So that really helped me whenever I had a question about something, I would just ask him and he would always help out. And so I think, like, if you're younger, like, try and get paired into a house if you're able to with someone else. It just helps kinda ease things ease into things a little bit easier. And another thing I would say is, obviously, it depends. It's easier with certain families than others, but don't just, like, hide in your room or hide in your basement and not be social with the family just because it's easier just makes life easier just being closer with them because

Speaker 3:

Right.

Speaker 5:

They don't want to feel like they're bugging you or you don't like them because you're just watching TV in your room the whole time. Like, it's nice to go maybe even when dinner's over, just hang out up upstairs for a little bit longer or watch, like, a football or hockey game with them one night. Like, any little things like that just it helps just makes you feel comfortable and makes them feel more comfortable.

Speaker 4:

Yeah. Like, I was I was caught I was on the couch fucking with a blanket and a chamomile tea watching Grey's Anatomy after dinner with my billet mom. Like, like, you gotta do that. You gotta do it. Right?

Speaker 4:

And that helps you get, you know, acclimated and everything and, you know, closer bond. Right? You know, if you feel comfortable, they feel comfortable, like, it just works for the better.

Speaker 3:

Yeah. Yeah. Hockey families are pretty cool like that. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't hear about that stuff in any other sport. You know?

Speaker 4:

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. There's yeah. There's there's no ability in or anything.

Speaker 4:

Hockey is really the only sport that does that.

Jamie:

Right? It's

Speaker 3:

all, you know, I I say it all the time, you know, that hockey families are just different from your regular, like, town families. And and I feel like it breeds a different type of kid. You know? Yeah. My my son says it all the time.

Speaker 3:

He's like, dad, I I can't relate to the kids in my school. He's like he's like, I relate more to my hockey buddies. You know? It's Yeah. You know?

Speaker 4:

It's 100100%. Yeah. It's just a it's a different mentality. It's a different sense of humor. It's a different way you go about things.

Speaker 4:

Like, it's it's kinda crazy. I remember even one time, Friz, correct me if I'm wrong, but in college, didn't the fucking basketball coach come in and try to fire us up one game? And and this guy do you remember that? And he comes in and he goes

Speaker 5:

say that. Yeah.

Speaker 4:

He goes, like, he's given us this pump up speech, and, like, it it couldn't have been different from a hockey pump up speech. You know? We were just like

Speaker 3:

Was it so uncomfortable?

Jamie:

Who the fuck is this guy? Like, where'd he

Speaker 4:

come from? I I was like, we have a basketball team. You know?

Speaker 3:

So it's it's funny you mentioned that. So, guys, talk about Wisconsin Superior. Yeah. I That

Speaker 4:

was great.

Speaker 3:

I hear the barn is pretty cool. I was doing some research. I hear that the barn is a pretty sweet facility. Right?

Speaker 4:

Oh, yeah. We had, like, for a division three school, we we had really everything you could ask for, all our, you know, equipment given to us, sticks, all this, because, you know, obviously, some schools, it depends on the budget of the team. Right? And we had a really good alumni foundation that was, you know, really supportive of especially the hockey program. We were probably the biggest sport on campus and

Jamie:

Oh, shit. Okay.

Speaker 4:

Before COVID, you know, we were we were packing that place. Obviously, it was a little tougher to crawl back from that. Yeah. Yeah. Sure.

Speaker 4:

But the the whole soul social aspect, like, all the boys were fucking beauties, like and it was a good mixer mix of Canadians, Americans, a few Euros, couple Russians, this like, we had a really good squad. The division we played in was really high end, you know, because we had guys that were coming in from high end junior leagues in Canada and The US or d one transfers. Right? So and every team in our league was like that. So the hockey was really good compared to some other d three conferences.

Speaker 3:

Oh, nice.

Speaker 4:

You know, personally, I wasn't a fan of our coach there. That's why I left after my third year. But everything else, unbelievable. Right. And the fucking bar scene was awesome.

Speaker 4:

Like, just running around. Yeah. Because we were raped beside Duluth, Minnesota too. Like, it was ten minutes away. And and so it there's tons of colleges in that area.

Speaker 4:

So we we just had a fucking blast, and, obviously, you started the hockey guys when we were there. Right? So Right. Everything in those three years for me was just unreal. Unreal.

Speaker 3:

That's cool. And where did you go after you left Wisconsin Superior?

Speaker 4:

So that after my third year there, I knew I had to get out of there. I I I just I just knew it. I didn't see eye to eye with the coaches. First time in my life where I had this experience. And and so that summer, I was I was sending emails and calling every fucking pro team in North America and Europe.

Jamie:

Like, I was just Yeah.

Speaker 4:

I was just looking for something. And, like, I was even I was reaching out to teams I had no fucking business reaching out to. I was just trying to a tryout. Just let me please, like, prove myself this, that. And so I I actually signed a contract in the third league in Sweden.

Speaker 3:

Oh, wow.

Speaker 4:

And and so I was gonna go there. Right? And during this whole process, I'm I I I tried calling my coach for a month. So I was calling him four times a week for a month. He wasn't answering my calls, and then and then he finally answered one of my calls.

Speaker 4:

And I told him we had a nice little fuck you match on the phone, and and then that and then that was that. And then I was kinda hesitant to tell the boys, even though they were they they were all graduated, they were leaving too. Right. So one of the guys, Jordan Martin, who's part of the hockey guys there, he's he's actually playing in the ECHL still right now.

Scott:

Oh, nice.

Speaker 4:

He's he's in with Indy Fuel, but he was down in Birmingham. So it he's a year older than me in Frisode. After he after our season was done, they went and played in the SP for a little bit. Mhmm. And so he kinda got it out of me because he knew I was acting weird.

Speaker 4:

So he he got me a tryout. He's kinda stuck his neck out for me. He got me a tryout. So that that October, I drove down to Birmingham, Alabama, and I was scared fucking shitless because I was like, if this doesn't work out, I am fucked. Like, my career is done.

Speaker 4:

So Right. You know, things worked out. I went there. I made the team. I I just I I just went in saying, like, I'm not gonna score goals.

Speaker 4:

Like, that that's not what I was. Right? So I I have to literally put someone's head through the fucking glass and get noticed. And that's what I kinda did when I went down there and stuck around for two years until I decided enough was enough. Right?

Speaker 4:

So that was always my mentality was, you know, be done with the game before the game's done with you. And and also I had a ton of other injuries in my pro career. I think I ended off my entire career with five concussions, broken collarbone, rib, cracked sternum, teeth gone, stitches, torn MCL, broken back, broken hand, shit like that. Right? So enough was enough for me on that at the end of it, but I when I got to Birmingham, I learned to love the game again.

Speaker 4:

I learned so much about hockey. I got better. It was just a great overall experience, and that was due to the organization that Birmingham is and coaching staff. The guys the two guys coaching in Birmingham, Craig Simchuck and Kevin Kerr, they were unbelievable. And when they played, they were fucking nail guns.

Speaker 4:

They knew the game. They knew how to talk to the players. They knew how to handle certain situations. And, you know, if if it wasn't your fault, don't fucking worry about it. It was all about positioning and playing the game the right way.

Speaker 4:

So it was one of the best things to ever happen to me hockey wise.

Speaker 3:

That's a Birmingham's a pretty wacky city, isn't it? I was down there for we we stayed there one or two nights and went to a University of Alabama game. But we stayed we stayed in Downtown Birmingham and took a car service there and back to Tuscaloosa. Downtown Birmingham's pretty pretty interesting area.

Speaker 4:

Yeah. You don't you don't hang out there. No. I'll say that.

Jamie:

100%.

Speaker 4:

Out there. So the boys the boys lived we lived in Pelham, which is, like, twenty minutes south of the

Speaker 3:

downtown. Right.

Speaker 4:

Then speaking of Tuscaloosa, so one of our season ticket holders, he was the owner or he is the owner of a very famous bar in Tuscaloosa. It's called Innisfree.

Jamie:

Yes.

Speaker 4:

It's an it's an Irish bar there. So he so on game days, whether they were at home or away, it didn't matter. We had that Saturday and and Sunday off. We Right. We wheeled down there, and there'd be a lineup of, I'm not exaggerating

Speaker 3:

Oh, dude.

Speaker 4:

300 fucking students down the street, and then inside is a sardine can. Dude. And so we'd we'd be going through the kitchen, and we had a roped off area for us and everything like that. So all these kids are like, who the fuck are

Speaker 3:

these guys? Yeah.

Speaker 4:

And then and, like, we we were told, like, when we get down there too, like, people know who you guys are because we're we're the only pro team, us in the in the g league basketball team.

Speaker 3:

Right.

Speaker 4:

We're the only two pro teams in town. And as Canadians and then Northern Americans, like, we look, talk, and dress different than people in the South. Right?

Jamie:

Like No question.

Speaker 4:

You know, walk you're walking around that that campus, and you're seeing a guy, you know, milk bag body, red red golf shirt, khaki pants, visor, and then his Yep. Girlfriend's his girlfriend's this rocket, 10 out of 10 blonde

Speaker 3:

hair in a blue Yep.

Speaker 4:

And I'm like, what the fuck is going on in here? I was like, how the like, that guy must be funny as hell. I don't know. Fuck.

Speaker 3:

Because he's out kicking his coverage big time.

Speaker 4:

But but, you know, one thing we learned too, like, they I'm sure I don't know if you guys can hear it too, but, like, once, you know, you start talking with the Canadian accent to the girls down there, it's they they they like it. Like it. Yeah. But, yeah, we would have good times in Tuscaloosa and just, you know, we we'd leave a nice tip at the end, but beers and food on the house, and then you just go there and have a great time. And it just a cool experience, especially coming from Canada, like an SEC experience.

Scott:

Like Oh, dude.

Speaker 4:

The craziest thing. Like, I didn't know that sororities and fraternities were real. Oh, thought that was like an American Pie Hollywood shit, so I had no fucking idea about that. Yeah. I'm looking at these fucking 160 room mansions.

Speaker 3:

They're ridiculous. All these old, old mansions that have, like, ivy growing up the side.

Speaker 4:

Crazy. Shit. Crazy. And, like, the old money down there. It's it's the most beautiful campus and, you know, little did I know I'd be crawling out the window of one later on, but, like, fuck.

Speaker 4:

Yeah. It was it was pretty crazy down there.

Speaker 3:

That's unreal. Scott, game day, Scott.

Scott:

Roll Game day.

Jamie:

All the fraternities and all

Speaker 3:

the sororities, all the dudes get dressed up in, like, like you're saying, khakis, button down, blazer, and all the girls are, like, blonde and, like, you know, sundresses. And, like and they go to the they go to the game like that. And they all Yeah. They all go downtown to get banged up at all all all the local spots. Like

Scott:

That's funny.

Speaker 3:

Like Johnny was saying, it's

Speaker 4:

Actually, what one of the funny stories was so, like, when we would go to Tuscaloosa, it's about forty five minutes away, but we're drinking. So we got a we got a hotel with the boys, whatever. And one of the times we went, it was, like, the end of the year, and the next day was, like, the I don't know what it's called, like, but all the kids are moving out. Right?

Speaker 3:

Right.

Speaker 4:

Move out day. Whatever.

Jamie:

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And

Speaker 4:

I didn't know. So whatever, I I wind up at one of these beautiful homes. And the next day, I wake up and, like, horns honking, fucking parents, this, that, like, their daughter's moving out, all this shit. And I'm like, oh, fuck. And it's like in a gated fence.

Speaker 4:

And so I'm I'm literally crawl my and then one of my teammates is picking me up. So he's outside, but he's outside the gated fence. So I'm crawling out of this window. I'm tossing my shit. It's on it's like just lower than what a 2nd Floor would be.

Speaker 4:

So I got a little bit of a ways down. I land in a fucking bush. I got shit all over me. All these parents, like, start looking at me. What the fuck?

Speaker 4:

Oh, Christ. And so I'm, like, putting my hat my hat's like this. Totally. And I I get to this gate, and there's a code or you need a fob or whatever. Yeah.

Speaker 4:

And so I I don't have one and I don't think any of these lovely people are gonna do me a favor. So No. I start hopping this big black spiked fence and I get in the car. My buddy's cranking Riley Green on the fucking thing. I'm like, this is so so bad.

Speaker 4:

And, like, these poor parents are probably like, what the hell is my daughter doing in school?

Scott:

Yeah. That sounds amazing. Dude, so that that is an amazing story. So so, Austin, man, so so Winnipeg, and now you're in Michigan playing hockey. What was what was what was your experience like over there?

Scott:

You know, just making your way over there. How'd you come to that decision? You know, were there any were you considering anything else? I'm in Wisconsin. I said Michigan.

Scott:

I'm in Wisconsin.

Speaker 5:

Oh, for college. Well, yeah. Like, I was so I was playing the Knoll then. I was playing Johnstown. So that was a pretty pretty fun fun little town there just with the slapshot history and the rink and stuff like that.

Speaker 5:

So Right. I was I I really had really big d one hopes for sure. And just because, like, my team finished first that year, we were breaking all records. Like, like, 12

Scott:

of

Speaker 5:

the guys on my team were already committed d one. So I was, like, really trying to get that. And then, yeah, eventually, yeah, just got a random call from Superior, and it's actually one of the closest d three teams to Winnipeg. So that was, like, a really big part of it that it was a seven hour drive and kind of a familiar area in general to us. And, also, it was affordable.

Speaker 5:

It was a it's a very affordable school to go to compared to some of these East Coast schools that I was kinda talking to where it's $40.50 grand a year, and

Scott:

it's like Yeah.

Speaker 5:

Just insane. So we're that was like a big, big decision for me to go there. And then my cat is going

Speaker 4:

Holy shit up.

Speaker 5:

But then, yeah, I went in there and Johnny lived right beside me and did the did the whole hockey thing. And, like, he kind of explained it. The hockey guys started to get intertwined with our school, and we had to kinda find the balance between because it wasn't every guy on the team. We are naturally a friend group that just starts

Jamie:

Right.

Speaker 5:

Thing. We weren't like, hey. You come. You come. You come.

Speaker 5:

We're gonna make this group. It was like, we're a friend group, and that's how it was. So once after that year started, we not only had to play hockey, focus on hockey doing that, but we also had to do content too on the side, making sure that it wasn't distracting for the other players and that we weren't, like, taking too much I don't know. Like, no one ever seen this stuff before on social media.

Speaker 4:

This is before before NIL too. Actually, we the hot we us and, like, a bunch of other student athletes at the time were used in the NIL case against the NCAA.

Scott:

Oh, no shit.

Speaker 3:

Yeah. Interesting. I wouldn't mind hearing

Jamie:

that story later. That's interesting. Yeah. So it

Speaker 5:

was it was kind of a difficult time, like, because, you know, we were a pretty good team. We weren't bad. But, like, if we would start to maybe do something wrong or the team starting to slip up, we knew it would be used as an excuse eventually.

Speaker 4:

Yeah. So it wasn't received thing. It wasn't received well by some of the people at the school, with the Canadian guys and the hockey guys, like with, you know, violating our student visa with earning we didn't take any money.

Scott:

Yeah.

Speaker 4:

We put we we were saying no to Disney. We were saying no to McDonald's at the time because nil wasn't a thing. Right? Right. So we were saying no to like some pretty good contracts and some good money and and we, you know, we got grilled by our athletic director.

Speaker 4:

We got grilled by foreign student services, which is always funny in itself to think of us as foreign students. True. Actually, sorry. Quick side story there is or before freshman orientation, we had foreign student orientation, and they're teaching us how to put on winter coats and stuff. And and They're they're like, dude,

Jamie:

do you know

Speaker 3:

where I'm from? Like, what the

Speaker 4:

The one lady's like, oh, your English is really good. I'm like, fuck. I hope so.

Speaker 3:

Fuck. You're like, Jesus Christ. I'm not from, yeah, I'm not not from, like, you know, across the pond.

Speaker 4:

Yeah. Exactly. But No. Fuck. Well, had for as sorry.

Speaker 4:

Yeah. We we had to jump through a lot of hoops and hurdles for sure before NIL.

Speaker 5:

Yeah. And then, like, what was cool, though, was because it was during COVID for the first year, but the second year when we were allowed to keep playing and the fans were back, like, people were traveling to our games to watch us, like, a local teams. There were signs in the crowds and

Speaker 4:

we got chirped a lot too.

Speaker 5:

Yeah. There was definitely stuff from both sides, but it was still really cool to experience, like people started to come out from all over the place to watch us, and people were watching online and following us. And We had a

Speaker 4:

couple fans of the hockey guys travel from Australia and England No way. To Wisconsin Superior to watch us play.

Speaker 5:

What started happening

Speaker 4:

was

Speaker 5:

girls?

Speaker 4:

And they're like, what the

Speaker 5:

fuck? What happened was we were creating friend groups, like, in the comments. People are these people are seeing the same names comment, and they start talking in the comments, and then they start messaging each other. So they would do, like, little girl like, girls trips and meet up and they'd become friends, and they're still friends to this day. So it was kinda cool to

Scott:

How many how many bachelorette parties have you guys start at?

Speaker 5:

We We well, actually, there

Speaker 4:

was there was one time in Arizona. Oh, this is this is one of my favorite stories. So we we were on a podcast when we first started, and this podcast was kind of like a version of Call Her Daddy when Call Her Daddy started.

Jamie:

Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 4:

Yeah. And so, like, they wanted they wanted to get some stuff out of us, like, you know, hooking up with girls, kill stories, all this, like, who were you know, all that shit. Right? So and we were scared shitless at the time because one, you know, we're still playing Right. Too.

Speaker 4:

Like, that that's one thing. We weren't as established as we are. And, again, we didn't wanna violate anything NCAA, so we're, like, we're, like, the whole interview. I it never even got aired because it was so fucking bad. Oh, that shit.

Jamie:

Because you

Speaker 3:

guys were so, like, you know, like, buttoned up.

Speaker 4:

Oh, yeah. It was it was the most PG thing of all time. Right? And and so whatever. Fast forward, like, a year later, we're down in Arizona, and we see these girls on a bachelor trip in Arizona.

Speaker 4:

And we're, you know, hanging out with them, and they're like, oh, you guys aren't fucking losers. Like, this is you guys are awesome. I'm like, yeah. Like, we just couldn't say shit.

Speaker 3:

That's right.

Speaker 4:

And so but my favorite part is, Friz, you you remember this. We're we're at this bar we're at this bar, Hi Fi, in in Old Town in Scottsdale there. And Frizz goes, yeah. Like, I'll I'll get I'll get this bottle. I'm like, oh, okay.

Speaker 4:

We're on it. We're still on a student budget. Right?

Speaker 3:

It's like $1,500.

Speaker 4:

It's one of those it's one of those bills that when you open it, it lights up. Oh. So you just see it's so dark, and you see Frizz's face, and it goes,

Jamie:

oh, shit. Oh my god.

Speaker 4:

It was a $600 bill, and we were just fucking giving it to him. It was the best thing ever, but glad he did it because they liked us. So perfect.

Scott:

Thanks, Fritz. He's taking one for the team.

Speaker 4:

Yeah. Not not one e transfer after that eagle.

Scott:

That's unreal. So so just getting back to, like, the the hockey piece for a second. So something that, like, you know, you know, parents and yeah. Although I I can't say at this point for myself, like, I even think about, like, where my kid's endgame is gonna be. Right?

Scott:

But I think, like, a lot of parents think, like, oh, like, d one. Right? Or whatever making college. Like, I I I can't speak on behalf of a lot of parents, but here you are guys, both, like, super accomplished hockey players. Right?

Scott:

Like, you had, like, you know, between academies, between drafts, etcetera. Then, you know, you you're playing at at a certain point in your careers, you're playing d three in The States. Now, as far as, like, you know, the message to, like, parents, I mean, like, you guys I mean, that's unbelievable. Like, I mean, it's unreal. Like, you guys are super talented.

Scott:

There's so many other players out there that, like, you're leaps and bounds better than. But then, like, you know, you'd have, like, idiot parents saying, oh, I want my kid to play d one, like, without understanding, like, how hard it is to play at certain levels.

Speaker 3:

Yeah.

Scott:

So if you could like, what was in your in your mind, in your eyes, like, you know, playing d three, playing d one? Like, were were did you feel like were you ever disappointed in yourselves? Like, did you ever feel like that way? Did you ever look at playing, like, d three as, like, just not not what you would hope for? Like, kinda how did that, like, factor into just the way, you know, you Everything played out.

Scott:

Looked at your story. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. If that makes sense.

Speaker 5:

Yeah. I like, just like I said before, I've I wanted to play d ones, like, since Yeah. 12 because my first taste at it was seeing the Ralph Engelsted, where you and D plays and Jonathan Taves is from my neighborhood in Winnipeg. So just kind of seeing that whole footsteps and seeing that amazing rink. And that was, like, my inspiration of trying to get it to d one, and it definitely did suck.

Speaker 5:

Like, just like I said, like, there was 12 guys on my 20 year old team that had scholars like, d one op like, was going to d one. And just knowing that I was like, towards the end of the day, felt like I was better than a lot of them. It's just the way sometimes it just doesn't work out. There's teams that are looking for very select shot or position

Jamie:

or whatever guy or whatever it is. Yeah.

Speaker 5:

And some teams, it might not it just might not be that year. It could be a year before or a year after that they're looking for a player like you, but this year, they're not looking for. They don't need that. So that's something that was kinda hard for me to take down and, like, breathe in. And finally, when I the dust settled and I signed with d three, I was happy, but I was still a little bit better for sure.

Scott:

Yeah. Yeah. And do you think that there's anything, like, now that, like, hindsight's always twenty twenty, but, like, is there anything that might be would have done differently that you think might have made an impact there? Or it's just, like, that's just the way things played out, timing, circumstances, a lot of, like, the stuff that you can't control?

Speaker 5:

So something that I I like, we always kinda talk about and, like, think about is, like, I did one of those, like, college touring camp summer camp things where you go to a couple of different college campuses, and there's the coaches are there and stuff. And after the one year, got an offer to go to or to commit to Princeton.

Speaker 3:

Oh, dude. Nice.

Speaker 5:

And I like that's what yeah, I was when was 15. I told you I excelled that year

Jamie:

in 15.

Speaker 4:

No. I'm talking about the academic part, No.

Speaker 5:

I was good. I was I was a good student and high school, but but what we always heard was, oh, you can't once you get that commitment, that's it. You're locked in. Like, you're not gonna be able to go to a different school or whatever. And, like, we didn't really know a whole lot about we knew Princeton obviously for its academics and stuff, but,

Scott:

like Yeah.

Speaker 5:

This wasn't the flashiest for hockey, I guess. And so we kept pushing it and put we didn't want to. We didn't want to grab the commitment and then go play and build off that. So we kept pushing it, pushing it, pushing it. Then eventually it just wasn't there anymore.

Speaker 3:

Off by the wayside.

Speaker 5:

Yeah. And then, and then now we're seeing all these guys get a commitment and then you kind of have that thing on your resume. Now you're committed somewhere And now you can kind of have a little, you're a little bit higher than everyone naturally. And you could get this attention from other school, bigger schools, maybe the schools that's your goal. And that's kind of the one thing we may have, like, we felt that we made a mistake on because we've seen guys commit at a lower end school.

Speaker 4:

Yeah. Right.

Speaker 5:

At that higher spot in the lineup, it's kind of being pushed, being shown more. Starting to play and then play and then boom, he gets CD commits and goes to an even bigger school. Just that's what we've seen over and over again. But back then, we didn't know.

Scott:

Right. Interesting. Interesting. Yeah. How about you, John?

Scott:

Anything on on your end about that?

Speaker 4:

Yeah. No. I I really love that question, actually. You know, growing up, like I mentioned earlier, I think for that one year, my off ice antics and and, you know, just the mental side of the game, I would change a few things I did back then for sure. And then rather than dial it in when it's not too late, but, you know, it's a missed opportunity.

Speaker 4:

So that and, yeah, when I got to d three, I did think of it as a failure for sure. Even though it's very good hockey, people don't understand that. Again, especially the conference we played in, like, the Minnesota, Wisconsin Yeah. D d three schools. Yeah.

Speaker 4:

Those are like, if you're gonna play d three, like, that's what you wanna strive for.

Speaker 3:

Right.

Speaker 4:

But I went in like, when I went to school, I I could not give two fucks about school. Like, I I was there to be a hockey player. That that's the mentality I went in with. Not to like, I did well in school. It's not to say I didn't do well or didn't care, but because doing well in school translates to also doing well in hockey.

Speaker 4:

That's even before college. Like, always focus on that stuff too because there's just less shit to worry about when you're on the ice. But yeah. No. I thought of it as a failure, but I still knew in the back of my head, like, okay.

Speaker 4:

I could go somewhere. And then even in junior, I went on an official visit to Bowling Green. I was there. I was talking to them. And you know what?

Speaker 4:

They just ended up going with another right hand defenseman that was six three instead of me. That that's that was just the reality of that. And you can't be bitter towards it because that stuff that's out of your control. And I think a huge thing that parents and kids today need to realize is you should never worry about things that are out of your control. The two things you could or the few things you could control as a hockey player are your work ethic, your attitude, and that's honestly pretty much it.

Scott:

Yeah.

Speaker 4:

Right? Everything else is out of your control, so don't fucking worry about it because it's a waste of time. And funny enough, the kid that committed to bowling green over me ended up playing against him in pro anyways. Right? So everyone has a different path.

Speaker 4:

And and I yeah. Like, there's a few things looking back on it. Like, yeah. Sure. I would have gone to that party.

Speaker 4:

Would I, you know, would I have done this? Would I have stayed up late? Like, yeah, I would I would have probably been a little bit more professional at it, but I at the same time, like, I was 15. Like, you're an idiot for 15.

Speaker 3:

Yeah. No question about it.

Speaker 4:

Like like and after that, I made a lot a lot more sacrifices and put in the effort that, you know, even though it didn't get me to the NHL, didn't get me to the American League, It still got me somewhere, and I'm proud of that. And you have to hang your head on it. And I think everyone in everyone in the world is exactly where they're supposed to be in life. And so you shouldn't carry regrets or bitterness with you. Learn from your mistakes and make them better.

Speaker 4:

That's that's just how you have to live your life. Right? Because if you do all on the past, you're just gonna bury yourself. So No doubt. You know, there there there's that to it.

Speaker 4:

But, yeah, happy with where I am today.

Speaker 5:

Yeah. Much. Thing that one thing that I kind of used as, like, not my motivation, but it's almost like a congratulations type thing of where you ended up was. Just like those people that I would move moved away from in Winnipeg when I was 15, like, they were the ones like, I just like, they weren't good people, but they are the top end people and they are, like, talking to the WHL and all that stuff and just growing up, never liked them and around with other guys in in that league. But I every year every year, I'd, like, move up and keep going.

Speaker 5:

I'd see one of them. Oh, they're done. They didn't make it. And I would just keep seeing them get smaller and smaller and smaller till it was just me left. And that was always, like, a thing that I just like kinda gave myself a pat on the back for because six years ago, if you would have asked those parents who's gonna keep playing, who's gonna stick around, I

Speaker 3:

They wouldn't have said you. Yeah. Isn't it funny how that works? So you pass them when they're going on the way down and you're going on the way up.

Speaker 4:

Yeah. Yeah. No. I that's the thing with hockey players too. Like, there's kids there's three types of kids.

Speaker 4:

There's the kids that are sick and then fall off when they get older. There's kids that are brutal and then get better. And then there's the kids that just always consistent. And if you notice the kid that it's always consistent, level headed kid, level headed parents. Yeah.

Speaker 4:

That's just how it is.

Scott:

Yeah. Right? The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Speaker 4:

Exactly. Exactly.

Scott:

Yeah. And that's something we try to remind ourselves. You know? Certainly, the two of us, it's funny. I mean, like, you guys aren't there yet, but, like, you know, our kids will be out there on the ice.

Scott:

And, again, like, my kid's fine. Just turned 11. You know what I mean? And I'll step out of the rink and I'll call this dude. I'll be like, dude, you can't believe what I'm watching.

Scott:

This is fucking crazy. How are we not past this yet? I mean, this is fucking terrible. Mean, I can't believe he's not tying this guy up off the face off, and he's just looking to, like, you know, hop the blue line and look for

Jamie:

the stretch.

Speaker 4:

It's like

Scott:

but at the same time, my kid wants to fucking score goals in his 11. Like, I don't know, man. It's like and that's the balancing act that we as parents have all the time. It's like, on one hand, like, they're young, they're kids, and of course, at a certain point, they gotta take responsibility and they'll make the decisions on how far they wanna try to take this game. But like, for parents of younger kids, like, how much do I wanna hit them over the head with this one?

Scott:

You know what I mean? Like and and that's the thing that is that becomes really hard as a parent because you need to push kids beyond their comfort zone because they don't know any better. But then you also run you you know, it's like finding that balancing act. You're right. That dance of, like, when it's okay to push, when you've gotta pull back, and shit's fucking crazy.

Scott:

One day. One day, fellas.

Speaker 4:

Yeah. One day, you'll get there. Can't wait.

Speaker 3:

Scott, before we go, tell the story really quickly, because we're keeping you boys a long time, and we really appreciate you guys hanging with us.

Scott:

Yeah. Seriously. Thank you so much, dude.

Speaker 4:

Great points.

Speaker 5:

We love this.

Speaker 3:

I'm glad you guys like it. It's a fun treat for us too.

Speaker 4:

No doubt.

Speaker 3:

Scott, tell the Yeah, story you're not kidding.

Speaker 4:

Tell the

Speaker 3:

story about the dad next to you comparing his kid to Wayne Gretzky. Just tell the story quickly.

Scott:

Yeah. I mean, it's not like so I coached my kid for a little bit.

Jamie:

Just shows you how

Speaker 3:

fucking stupid some parents are.

Scott:

Yeah. So there was a so we were out at a and I didn't, like, really socialize with the parents when I was coaching, you know, for the couple years that I was coaching just because, you know, I didn't want you know I don't know. I just wanna keep my distance from them. And, so this one what? This one dad whose kid was playing up and it looked dude, we're talking like fucking first year squirts.

Scott:

Right? Like, we're not talk and this kid's playing 10 year old. Right. Not not even, dude. So it's like a seven year old playing it like with, like, fucking eight year olds.

Scott:

And whatever it

Speaker 3:

was No. Older than that.

Speaker 4:

That's mites. Oh, whatever. Yeah.

Scott:

Okay. But the point is the young. Alright? So in any event, so this dad gets all tuned up, he's just like, you know, like, letting loose. And he's he comes up to me, and he starts talking and, you know, about the season.

Scott:

And we made his kid play defense, and he dad wasn't happy about that. But the the kid was great. We needed a great skater. We needed someone athletic. We needed someone who could be a like, push the puck forward and just not be an idiot back there.

Scott:

So, you know, this dad comes up. He's like, listen. I just gotta tell you something. He's like, you know, my boy Johnny, you know, you know he's a really good skater. And he's like, you know, when I see him out there, I I really think to myself, like, Wayne Gretzky.

Speaker 4:

And, like

Scott:

and it's just like, oh my god, guys. Like, this is just like it's it's unreal, like, what some

Speaker 3:

No. Of these parents

Scott:

to the ends to which they're gonna, like, pay to get their kids extra lessons. Like, I there's a kid on that same team whose parents, I'm not kidding you, like, in this area for extra lessons, you like, they're they would skate privately, like, at least three times a week with coaches, and I think their bill was probably around, like, anywhere from 6 to $800 a week on private lessons for their kid.

Speaker 4:

Yeah. That's such a waste of money. That's, like, an insanity. Like, that and that's the other thing. That's the that's the parents that don't know any better.

Scott:

Yeah.

Speaker 4:

And it's like, k. Yes. When you're growing up, skating is honestly everything, and it's everything when you're in the NHL. It's the same thing. Always work on your skating.

Speaker 4:

But having said that, let the kid be a fucking kid.

Scott:

No

Speaker 4:

doubt. Let the kid play baseball in the summer. Let him play soccer or whatever. Yeah. Be a multi sport athlete till it's time to choose.

Speaker 4:

Don't drive a kid to hate a sport by the time he's 10. Yeah. Right. No doubt. Yeah.

Scott:

There was a and, again, I know we're gonna wrap it up, but just whenever I you know, we have this conversation with other people like the the commissioner of the ECAC, Doug Christensen, we had on the pod, and he he made it he like, the way he put it was so spot on. It was like like, you know, in terms of, like, hockey's gonna get hard for a player at some point in their career. It's gonna get really hard. And it's like, the the price of admission gets really high. And if that kid doesn't love the fucking game, it gets even higher.

Scott:

So, you know, to push these kids to points where, like, you know, they're they're falling out of love with the game. When times get tough, like, they're probably gonna opt out.

Jamie:

They're gonna fall. You know? Yeah.

Speaker 4:

So Yeah. No. No. A thousand percent. That's and that's just how it is.

Speaker 4:

So I and that's yeah. The most important takeaway from that is let a kid be a kid. Yeah. Yeah. That's so important.

Speaker 4:

Yeah.

Scott:

No doubt. Dudes, this was fucking unreal. Yeah, man. Unreal. Was such a pleasure to meet you guys and talk shop with you.

Scott:

This was fucking yeah. I feel like I'm, what, probably, like, 30 now.

Speaker 5:

Yeah. Shaved shaved

Speaker 3:

off a couple years.

Speaker 4:

Yeah. I saw I saw the salt and pepper going away. That was

Scott:

crazy, dude.

Speaker 4:

What the hell? The Perfgada can't There you go. Coast.

Speaker 5:

It is. We'll have to you gotta go for one.

Speaker 3:

There you go. You gotta go gracefully. Yeah. If you guys are here, man, absolutely look us up. 100%.

Speaker 4:

Oh, yeah. Even more stories at the bar. No doubt. Definitely.

Speaker 3:

One one that we can't tell on on on the air.

Scott:

Yeah. Maybe we can find a cozy spot in Newark. Newark. Yeah. We'll

Speaker 4:

we'll go to we'll go to Pepe or whatever. Yeah. Don't worry.

Scott:

No doubt. Shout out, George. Yeah. Alright, guys. Listen.

Scott:

Thanks again. Really appreciate it.

Speaker 3:

Before we leave, where can everybody find

Scott:

you guys? Yeah. Without a doubt.

Speaker 4:

On Instagram and TikTok at the hockey guys.

Speaker 5:

Yep. There

Scott:

it is.

Speaker 3:

Boys. What's up? Thank you so much. What a treat. Thanks a lot.

Scott:

I really appreciate your time. Yeah. Thank you. You got it. Good night, guys.

Scott:

Take care.

Jamie:

Later, boys.

Speaker 5:

See you. Yeah.

Scott:

Peace. See you. Alright, everybody. Welcome back from an interview with the hockey guys, dude.

Jamie:

So much fun. I mean, like, that was I don't know about you, but that was one of my most fun interviews that we've done yet.

Scott:

Yeah. And you know what I

Jamie:

Like, that was a lot of fucking fun, man.

Scott:

Yeah. But you know what's so funny about it? Is that they they went into this, like, you know, after playing. They're not that far removed. And it's like No.

Scott:

They're

Jamie:

not, actually. And the fact that they've Johnny's only been out for a couple of years.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, no.

Scott:

But they've continued to do things that have kept them involved in the game. But on That's for an adventurous side of things, unreal. I can't believe that. Not that I can't believe it. Like, it makes sense.

Scott:

But, like, can you imagine being in their shoes and, like, having the the day the NHL told them they wanted to work with them?

Jamie:

I mean well, I think they said it during the, during the interview. Like, they they were hoping to get to the NHL. They just didn't think it would be that way.

Scott:

No. Of course.

Jamie:

Right? Like, they mean they had we we always talk about having a different path. Yep. That was a different path.

Scott:

No. But even but just imagine the

Jamie:

NHL calling

Scott:

us, like, tomorrow and be like, hey, guys. We we want you to,

Speaker 4:

you know

Jamie:

I think they pitched them.

Scott:

No matter how it happened, were When it came back and the NHL said yes.

Jamie:

We're good. Yeah. No. You're you're not wrong. I'm sure they I'm sure they were super psyched about it.

Scott:

Yeah. No. It's unbelievable.

Jamie:

And I guess that they're working Austin was saying early on in the podcast interview that, you know, they're kind of trying to get every single NHL team Yeah. You know, to do a thing with them. I think they they're they've got a lot of them. You know, they still have a kind of like a list to go for.

Scott:

Yeah. Listen, that's unbelievable. It's gotta be so much fun. But, like, you know, even just listening to their stories, how different, like, you know, it's funny. It's just like the chirping between them from where they're located

Jamie:

in Canada. Being in Ontario and Winnipeg, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's definitely funny.

Scott:

But how Austin ended up going to a hockey academy and how he thought that was really huge for his exposure. Yeah, yeah. And that played a pivotal role in just taking him to the next level.

Jamie:

Yep. Yeah. It was very cool, man. Like I said, probably my most enjoyable interview to date.

Scott:

Yeah, was fun, dude.

Jamie:

That was a of

Speaker 4:

fun.

Scott:

But then I'm just thinking about that part with Austin also when he was just sharing how he had an offer for Princeton.

Jamie:

Yeah, that was cool by the way.

Speaker 3:

Oh, you heard Johnny's like, how would you have done with

Jamie:

the academics, bud?

Scott:

He's like, oh, I

Speaker 4:

would have been good. But Yeah,

Jamie:

he said he's like, would have been fine.

Scott:

No, but just like it's interesting how it's different now than it was then. You know, like he didn't commit because he was holding out for something like Yeah. You know, different. And then that opportunity came Kind of

Jamie:

fell by the wayside.

Scott:

And they were like a takeaway. It's like, no, you take know, you commit and then you kind of have that as like, you know, not leverage but it's like, it shows the, you know, other universities or whatever that you're already committed and that gives you more weight than maybe someone who they're looking at that's not already committed.

Jamie:

Yeah. No. You're right. And and I think he was saying, right, like like, you know, it depends on what, like, what that school needs in that year.

Scott:

Yes.

Jamie:

Right? Like, he was saying, like, you know, I think we mentioned, like, just like that needed a face off guy. You need, like, a shutdown defender. Or and and, know, sometimes you just gotta get lucky. Yeah.

Jamie:

Right? And you you need to kinda be what they're looking for at that moment in time. Yeah. And if you miss it by a year, you know, you go in a different direction.

Scott:

Yep. And and not not only the timing of things, but also injuries. Right? Like, that that was something that caught up with Johnny. Right?

Scott:

He went through the types of injuries that he has, and he's clearly Broken not the only back? That is bananas. That shit was crazy.

Jamie:

Yeah. You know? And then and then what about, like, his mom? Like, when he was getting back in shape from that?

Scott:

And, like, renting ice?

Jamie:

His mom's like, go out and do the drills that make everybody else puke. Right.

Scott:

The way he set that up where it was the sweet old lady that

Jamie:

was The just like cheek pinch and like Yeah. Yeah. Was fun. That was not fun. Unbelievable.

Jamie:

Yeah. No, it was cool, man. They were there again, that was a very enjoyable interview to do.

Scott:

Yeah. And if you think about it also and we've talked about it you know, with other guests as well, but just like they went to play d three. Right? Yeah. And like that wasn't necessarily what they were looking to do.

Jamie:

At the time. Yeah.

Scott:

But like the but there is like, look look what hockey is, you know, given back to them. Right? And Yes. It's just, you know, it's so interesting how that they, you know, something it's like, I don't wanna say like when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.

Jamie:

Well, there's to that.

Scott:

There's something to that with this. And it's like, you know, they maybe if they were playing d one, they wouldn't have had the ability or the willingness or the, you know, to to to put out this content.

Jamie:

Or they wouldn't have met the people that started TikTok and, you know, you you I mean, look what they have now. I mean, Johnny was saying it. They have a business. Yeah. You know, they have, like, their own business.

Jamie:

Like, you know, and and and what was really interesting, and and I wish we got more into it with them and we didn't. Next time, I think we I would love to, was so they started this while they were playing. Yeah. Right? I think you said when they were freshmen.

Jamie:

He said he said it was, like, their COVID year. So they were just kinda, like, online school, like, working out, training, hanging out. Right? So they had time to, like, start the stuff. So they're doing the the hockey guys, and, like, as it started to get bigger, he I think Johnny was mentioning, like, they were being investigated.

Jamie:

By their own school. Like the ethics department being like, You guys taking money for this? Because they're not allowed to take money as an NCAA athlete. Because was before NIL So money and stuff like I think he mentioned they turned down Disney.

Scott:

Oh, right. They had turned Right.

Jamie:

Right? They

Scott:

Was turned it Disney?

Jamie:

Yeah. I wanna say it was Disney and maybe I'm But I wanna say it was I can't remember the other one. But they turned down some major

Scott:

Major offers.

Jamie:

Major offers, dude. You know, I wish we got more into that. So they couldn't take money while they were in school.

Scott:

Right.

Jamie:

Right? I that was I wish we got more into that in the weeds there. Yeah. Next time.

Scott:

Yeah, next time. No doubt. But no, that was just like an unreal interview. I hope everyone enjoyed it because that was Oh, a lot of dude.

Jamie:

We need to have them on again.

Scott:

Yeah, we'll do it.

Jamie:

Not only that, but when they come to Jersey, hopefully work with the Devils again, we need to meet them in the Ironbound section and go out for some Rhodesio.

Scott:

Yeah, we could do that for sure.

Jamie:

Yeah. Or if they're in like Boston, I'll go up and meet them in Boston too.

Speaker 4:

Sure.

Jamie:

Hang out at TD Garden.

Scott:

Oh, happy If

Jamie:

the kid sells pizza again.

Scott:

Happy to.

Jamie:

You know? But yeah, man, that was awesome. That was sick. And we have a lot of really cool stuff coming.

Scott:

Yep. Yep. We've got some great interviews I coming hope everyone's been enjoying the interviews we've had so far. Yes. Yes.

Scott:

But yeah, so we have on the horizon. We have some skills coaches. We have our first female guest coming on the pod. She was great by the way. She was great.

Jamie:

She was a great interview. She was fantastic. Unreal. And that was, again, also a lot of fun. We've talked to some awesome people, by the way.

Scott:

No, no doubt.

Jamie:

But that's gonna be a great interview. Skills guy we're gonna have, Jeff Lovacchio is coming.

Scott:

Also part of yes.

Jamie:

So good.

Scott:

So good. Yeah. That was such a treat to talk So to him

Jamie:

good. I mean, some of the shit I don't know about you, but like my wife, like, she says to me, she's like, Jamie, she's like, I I can't believe you guys are talking to these people. Yeah. Like, we're getting pretty lucky here.

Scott:

Well, what do they say about luck? That's when preparation meets opportunity. Fair. Yeah. But it's fun.

Scott:

No, no doubt.

Jamie:

I'm definitely enjoying this.

Scott:

Yeah. Good. So am I. I hope everyone else is It's as fucking awesome.

Jamie:

Yeah, we hope that you're welcome to all of our new followers who found the podcast and who found our Instagram page. Our Instagram page kind of went a little bananas recently. So if you guys haven't found our Instagram page, go look up Crazy Hockey Dads Podcast. Like all of a sudden, over the last five days, it kind of went a little wild.

Scott:

Yeah, we're starting to put a little more effort there.

Jamie:

Yes. There's definitely That a little more effort is correct. And clearly, it seems to be working, so

Scott:

So plenty more to do. There's a ton more to But getting more active.

Jamie:

Yes. So welcome all the new people that are kind of jumping on board and downloading the podcast. I really hope you guys are enjoying the content because we are enjoying making it. Yep. That's for sure.

Scott:

All right.

Jamie:

Yeah, man.

Scott:

Let's let's wrap this one up, dude.

Jamie:

Alright, homeboy. This was fun. Alright.

Scott:

Until next episode.

Jamie:

See you.

Scott:

Alright. Peace.